Trying Travels
by Failte
Summary: A trip to Terra is disrupted by unexpected dangers. Mayhem and romance ensues in this story of love, nerves, and danger. Finished! Thanks you all!
1. Nervous Preparations

Hi all!  
Here is the next installment of my series. As usual, I couldn't wait to get this story posted. I can't guarantee that I will be able to post as quickly as I have in the past, but I will do my best.

This story is rated PG-13, but there is a really good chance there will be one or two R rated chapters. Don't worry, I will give you plenty of notice!

Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

"Schuyler!" Cady gasped as she rushed into her best friend's room. "What are you doing?" 

Sky rolled the small rubber ball across the floor and watched her five month old puppy run and pounce on it, "Playing with Figment."

"I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?"

The Arusian Princess sighed heavily and placed her hands on her hips, "We're leaving at six tomorrow morning."

"I know."

"You mean you're all packed?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Sky rolled her eyes and stood, holding her squirming dog in her hand, "I promise to be ready, Cady, calm down."

"What if his family hates me?" Cady asked quietly.

Sky shrugged as she set Figment into her crate and watched the puppy attack her water bowl with a vengeance, "Screw 'em. They'll be living several thousand miles away."

"You are of no help, Sky. You have no idea how nerve wracking this is, Aunt Romelle and Uncle Sven love you, you never had to worry about impressing anyone."

"Yeah, you're point being?"

Cady fell back across her friend's bed, twisting her hands nervously. The time had finally come for them to cash in their Christmas present from Tristan. The next morning she and Tristan and Erik and Sky were going to fly to Terra for a month. They would do some sightseeing and visit their families. But it was the fact that Cady was going to be meeting Tristan's family and friends that made this trip so important, and terrifying.

"They are going to love you," Sky assured her as she sat on the bed beside her.

"I am really excited and nervous, I haven't been able to eat all day."

"Well, I guess that'll cut down on your flight sickness tomorrow."

"What if his family hates me and when he sees that I don't fit in with them, he dumps me?"

"That won't happen and you know it. Tristan is crazy about you. If anything, you are going to blow his family away."

Cady sat up, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"I could say no, but you'll ask any way."

"You and Erik were going out, what? A couple of months before you, uh, you slept together, right?"

"Yeah," Sky replied slowly.

"How, uh, how did you know it was the right time?" She asked nervously. "I mean, I know you did it for him for his birthday, but was it because you couldn't come up with a good present for him? Did you, uh, did you want to do it as badly as he did? I mean did you enjoy it? Oh man, I don't know what I'm trying to say. This is so embarrassing. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Sky waited until her red faced friend finished her ramblings, "Cady, are you trying to decide if you're ready to take the next step with Tristan?"

The Princess nodded sheepishly.

"Is he trying to pressure you into something you're not ready for? Because if he is…"

"No, no, Tristan would never do that. He is such a good man." Cady lowered her voice. "After the New Years party he escorted me back to my room and, well, we started to make out, but I couldn't go all the way. So he held me until I fell asleep but when I woke up the next morning he was gone."

"What happened? Did he seem angry or upset?"

"Not at all. He was so sweet about it all, he told me he would wait until I was ready."

"Then what's the problem?" Sky asked.

"I, uh, I think that, maybe, I might just be…sort of ready," Cady whispered.

"You sure?"

She glared at her friend, "You're hilarious, Sky."

"Cady, I can't tell you to sleep with Tristan, I can't tell you when the right time would be. That is up to you and him. Don't rush into anything because you think he wants it or it would make him happy. Make this decision together when you know its right."

"How will I know?"

"You will, don't worry," Sky said. "I didn't sleep with Erik because it was his birthday, I did it because I love him and we were ready. I knew I was ready and, well, he was ready from the moment I agreed to go out with him, he was just waiting for me to make the first move."

"So you're saying I should make the first move?"

"If you're ready, then you and Tristan should talk about it."

"Did you, um, did you want to do it as…as much as Erik did?" Cady asked shyly.

"Wow, you are getting personal. Yeah, I did. I was so in love with him and I wanted to get closer to him, to be with him. I think I can honestly say I wanted it as badly as he did."

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it can, the first time. But if you're careful and take it slowly, it isn't too bad. The best part is that the more you do it, the better it feels."

Cady blushed a brilliant red, "Sky!"

"What? It's true," Sky smiled as she unclipped her communicator from her belt and flipped it open. "Collier."

"Schuyler," Keith greeted her. "We're having a quick meeting in the conference room about your trip."

"I'll be right there, sir," she snapped it shut.

"What's going on?" Cady asked.

"A meeting about the trip. You coming?"

"Yeah."

"I thought you were packing."

Cady shook her head, "I finished packing the day before yesterday."

"Then why were you bugging me about it?"

"Because I knew you weren't packed."

Sky shut and locked the door behind them as they left, "You really finished packing two days ago?"

"I couldn't wait."

"I'm afraid to see how much you're taking."

"I managed to fit it into two trunks."

"Really?"

"And three suitcases."

"Figures."

They arrived in the conference room to see Keith and Allura standing at the head of the table talking to Tristan and Erik.

"Just like women, always late," Erik quipped.

"Not funny," Sky said warningly.

"Okay, you're all here, have a seat," Keith said, indicating the table.

Trying to make up for his earlier comment, Erik gave Sky a dazzling smile and held a chair out for her. She stuck her nose in the air and sat on the edge of the chair, catching the table edge with her hands as he pushed the chair in a little too hard.

"Jerk."

"Love you, Sunny."

"Children," Keith sighed as he flipped open a folder. "Sit down."

"What's up, Dad?" Cady asked.

"We were able to get the three of you papers, permission to carry a loaded weapon at all times," he slid the papers to Tristan, Sky, and Erik. "Keep these on you at all times, along with your blasters. You are serving as guards to the Princess."

"Yes, sir," the three of them chimed.

"Your communicators and cell phones have all been upgraded so you can reach us from Terra. There will be a five second delay, but I think we can deal with that. The Garrison knows you are all coming and if there are any problems, you are to go to the closest base immediately. They will arrange for your trips home and offer you total protection. I also expect you to check in at least three times a week, if not more. If you wanted to check in every day, I wouldn't mind that either."

"Don't you think you're going a little over board, Dad?" Cady asked.

Keith glanced at her and then turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, "No, young lady, I don't. Your security is of the utmost importance, especially with a new issue that has risen." He slid two envelopes across the tabletop to Sky and Erik. "Allura and I also received these, as well as Sven, Romelle, and Delora."

Sky looked from her envelope to the one Erik held. They appeared identical, both from a Garrison office on Terra. Erik looked at her and offered her a small smile before tearing his open. She did the same, pulling out the sheet of paper.

"Well, what is it?" Cady asked impatiently.

"It says we may have to testify in Vinn's trial," Erik told her.

"It's happening while we're on Terra, isn't it?" Tristan asked.

"It starts our third week there," Sky responded.

"We're thinking that Allura and I will definitely have to testify as well as Sven and Romelle. I think we'll be able to convince them they don't need Delora to testify, your father's going to work on that Erik. As for you two, we won't know if your testimony is necessary just yet, so make sure you are on the east coast when the trial starts. I told them to contact me and I will let you know if they need you." Keith explained.

"You think it'll be dangerous for us to be on Terra during the trial?" Cady asked.

Tristan slid his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"If I thought it was too dangerous, you wouldn't be going," Keith replied simply. "I just hope you now understand why we're taking these precautions. Any questions?"

Erik folded his letter and slipped it back into the envelope, "No sir."

Tristan shook his head and looked at Cady who responded in like.

"Schuyler?" Allura asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

Sky looked up from her letter and nodded, "Uh, yes, Ma'am, I'm fine. No questions."

"Then you're dismissed," Keith stood. "You know how to reach us if you have any questions or problems."

"You okay, Sunny?" Erik whispered as they all filed out of the room.

"Yeah, I'm fine, hon," she smiled at him and tucked the envelope into the back pocket of her jeans. "What are you doing now?"

"I have to finish packing, but I have time. Why?"

"I need to take Figment to my parent's house, wanna take a walk with me?"

"Let me think, do I want to take a walk with you?" He slung his arm around her shoulders. "I guess I could handle that."

She slid her arm around his waist, "Well, I don't want to force you into anything."

"You can force me into anything you want, baby."

"Oh yeah?"

He lowered his voice, "Oh yeah."

Sky punched in the code to open her door, immediately Figment started whining and jumping. "Can you grab the bag over there?" She asked as she opened the crate's door and let the puppy run out.

"Geez, Sunny, what's in here?" Erik asked as he hefted the heavy shopping bag.

"Her food," she replied as she chased the puppy. "Come here Figment, come on girl. Her blanket, some toys, Figment, come here now!"

He watched as she slid onto her stomach and wiggled under the bed after the dog, "Honey, your parents have dog food and she can use some of Greedo's toys."

"Nuh uh," Sky's reply was muffled under the bed. "Greedo doesn't share and she needs her squeaky duck."

Erik continued to watch, amused, as she wiggled back out, "Get her?"

"Barely," Sky stood and pushed her hair out of her eyes with one hand, clutching the puppy to her chest. "She knows something is happening and she's upset."

"She's a dog."

"Dogs can sense when things aren't right," she sat on her bed and tried to wrestle the puppy into her harness. "She knows Mommy and Daddy are leaving her."

He chuckled softly. The first time she had referred to the two of them Figment's 'Mommy and Daddy', he had been surprised and a more than a little touched. "She's going to need a new harness soon."

"I know, she's getting so big," Sky set the puppy on the floor. "Ready?"

"Yup," he took her hand. "It's a lovely night for a stroll."

The sun had just started to set, casting a golden glow over the late winter Arusian landscape as they left the castle. Figment scampered around their feet, stopping to smell a stone or eat a blade of grass.

"Figment, don't eat that," Sky scolded, reaching down to pull a seed pod out of the puppy's mouth.

"Are you okay with the letter we got?" Erik asked.

"What?"

"The letter we got from the Garrison about possibly testifying. You seemed a little…distracted after reading it."

She shrugged, "I guess I was just surprised to see it. I thought we were done with him."

"We will be after this. With everything he did, he'll be put away for a long time."

"What will we have to do? I mean, I've never had to testify before."

"Neither have I. I'm sure they just ask a few questions, you answer them honestly, and that's it."

"Why us?"

"Because we were there when he was captured, I guess."

"Then why weren't Declan, Gideon, and Brina asked to testify too?"

Erik shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe they wanted to speak to the first and second in commands. And we might not even have to testify, they were just letting us know that they might call us up. It won't ruin our trip, and if we have to testify, then we can write it off as a working vacation."

Sky smiled at him, "You can always put a positive spin on every situation, can't you?"

"I like to think I can."

"We'll have to call my grandmother from my parent's house and let her know we have to be back on the east coast a little early."

"No problem. Maybe we can head to Chicago a day or two early to make up for it."

"I just wish your grandparents could stay longer."

He shrugged, "They're getting up there in years, Sunny, the trip from Norway is going to be a lot for them. I'm just glad I get to see them at all."

"Me too, hon," Sky said as they approached her parent's front porch. She scrapped her feet on their doormat and opened the door. "Mom? Dad? You here?"

"Hey, Shorty," Lance greeted his daughter, walking into the foyer from the living room. "Are you dropping off our little granddog?"

"Yup," she bent down to unclip the leash from Figment's harness. "Where's Mom?"

Lance picked up the puppy and removed her harness, kissing her on the head and letting her down to scamper around the house. "She took Greedo for a walk. She's bringing back a pizza for dinner, you guys want to stay?"

Sky hung her coat on a hook by the door and looked at Erik, he shrugged and nodded, letting her know it was up to her. "Sure, Dad."

"Well, come in, come in. How are things going? Are you ready to go in the morning?" Lance asked as he led them into the kitchen.

"Things are fine. I just need to pack when we get back to the castle. You want a soda, Erik?"

"Sure, thanks Sunny," Erik sat at the table with Lance.

"Dad?"

"Grab me a beer, Sky."

"You ready to take over flying Red while we're gone?" Erik asked Lance.

"Are you kidding? I can't wait to get back in there."

"Are you going to be in charge if Uncle Keith and Aunt Allura have to go to Terra to testify?" Sky asked as she brought the drinks over to the table.

Lance nodded, "Yeah. So I take it they filled you in on Vinn's trial?"

Sky reached into her back pocket and pulled out her letter, handing it to her father, "It seems that Erik and I might be called in to testify as well."

"We thought this might happen," Lance mumbled as he skimmed over the letter.

"Do you know what we will have to do?"

"If you're called to testify, you'll take the stand and be asked questions by the prosecution and defense lawyers. Just answer honestly and to the best of your recollection, if you can't remember, just say 'I don't recall'. Don't let the lawyers intimidate you, be strong and be honest." He explained.

"I remember it pretty well," she mumbled.

"That's good. That will help put that S.O.B. in prison and keep him there."

"Oh! We have another dog," Darcy said as Figment greeted her and Greedo at the front door. "I'm thinking it's a good thing I got a large pizza."

Lance took the pizza from her and gave her a quick kiss, "We have a couple of visitors."

"So I see," Darcy hung her coat in the closet while Sky unclipped Greedo's leash. "How are you guys doing?"

"Fine," Erik told her, watching as the two dogs tumbled and nipped at each other. "We're learning from your husband how to handle the law."

"Mm hm, I see. Well, I guess it depends on which side of the law you're on."

"I heard that," Lance called from the kitchen.

* * *

Cady looked around her room. She had just gone through her two trunks and three suitcases to double check that she had packed everything she needed and had proceeded to unpack and repack it all. At nine o'clock the night before they were due to leave, she was almost certain she was ready.

"Who is it?" She called at the knock on her door.

"It's me," Tristan responded.

"Come on in, sweetie."

The door slid open and he walked in carrying a mug and a small plate with two of Nanny's chocolate chip cookies. "You didn't eat much at dinner, I thought you could use a snack."

Cady felt herself melt a little, "You are such a sweetheart, thank you."

He set the plate and mug on her desk and looked around, "Are you really taking all this?"

"I couldn't narrow it down."

"Cady..."

"I want to be prepared for any possible situation."

"Well, you won't need to do any laundry when we're on Terra," he muttered, walking over to the trunks. "Is this all part of being involved with a Princess?"

"I think its part of being involved with _any_ girl."

"Sky is going to bring this much?"

"Well, any girl but Sky."

Tristan crossed over to her and took her hands, "How are you going to fit all that on the ship?"

"You told me the ship was big."

"I told you it was comfortable enough for four people and the crew to fly to Terra. I hadn't planned for your entire wardrobe."

"Well then you and Erik can sleep in the cockpit."

"As long as you have your priorities set right," he said wryly.

Cady stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, "You will always be first, Tristan, right after my clothes."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head, "Glad to hear that, Cady. At least I know where I stand. You okay?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm a little nervous."

"There's no need to be nervous."

"I know."

"Then why are you nervous?"

"Because I'm meeting all your friends and family. I am going to try and fit in on the one side of your life I know nothing about. What if they don't like me? What if I don't fit in?"

"I think," Tristan said, tilting her head back to look at her. "They're more nervous about meeting you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because they never met a Princess before."

"But I'm just like everyone else."

"No you're not. You're amazing."

She turned away coyly, "Why I do declare, Lieutenant, are you trying to woo me?"

"I like to think I already have, Your Highness."

"You're pretty close."

Tristan dipped his head, "How close?"

"Close."

He brushed his lips over hers, "Now?"

"Closer."

He tightened his arms around her and tangled his hand in her long, soft golden curls. His lips met hers, gently at first but it quickly became more intense, more hungry. Cady gripped his shirt and leaned against him as his hand tightened even more within her hair.

"And now?" Tristan whispered breathlessly as he pulled back.

"I, uh, I think I'm properly wooed now," she replied huskily.

"Good," He gave her another quick kiss and stepped back. "Have a good night."

Cady blinked, surprised, "What?"

"Good night, Cady," Tristan winked at her and opened the door.

"You're a tease," she called after him.

"See you early in the morning."

Cady watched him walk down the hall, leaving her standing in her doorway, a little confused. _Well,_ she thought as she shut her door. _Two can play at this game._


	2. A Long Flight

Hi all!

Thank you so much for the great reviews! They really mean a lot to me! I can't really answer your questions without giving too much away :)

Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

Sky checked her watch again. Erik had just boarded the comfortably sized ship that was going to take them to Terra while Tristan stood beside her, waiting patiently. It was five minutes to six and Cady was still not there. Her trunks and suitcases had been taken aboard and stowed fifteen minutes earlier. 

Keith stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling softly as they waited to see them off. Of course Cady was going to keep the waiting, she had to make an entrance. Allura covered her mouth to hide a yawn. The younger children had said their goodbyes the night before and so only Keith, Allura, Lance and Darcy were on the tarmac to see them off. Keith and Lance had gone over the ship at least three times and spoke with the two pilots at length.

"She still has five minutes and she is going to wait to the very last second, you know that," Keith whispered when Sky checked her watch again.

"Four minutes and thirty four seconds," she corrected. "Thirty three, thirty two."

Erik jogged down the gangplank, "Give it up, Sunny, this is Cady after all."

"I hate how chipper you are so early in the morning," she mumbled.

"Aw, like father, like daughter," Darcy teased. "You both get the morning grumpies."

Sky and Lance scowled at her.

"Just in time," Allura said as her daughter joined them on the tarmac.

"Actually, I'm early," Cady said, pointing to her watch.

"Barely," Sky mumbled.

"Okay," Tristan spoke up. "We have to get moving. They're expecting us tomorrow in time for lunch."

The hugs and kisses were exchanged, even a few tears wiped away, as they bid the four young people off.

Keith slipped Cady a handful of bills and whispered, "A little mad money. Have fun, Cady."

"Thanks, Dad," she replied, hugging him tightly.

"Be careful," Lance told his daughter. "Keep out of trouble, behave when you're visiting your grandmother, and if you end up in jail, call your Uncle Lawrence."

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, sir."

It was ten minutes before the last farewells were said and the four of them boarded the ship.

"Quarter after six," Erik said as they sat down and buckled in. "I'm impressed that we got out this early."

Sky yawned, "Once we're safely in flight, I'm going to go lay down."

"Maybe if you hadn't stayed up all night packing, you wouldn't be so tired," Cady teased.

"Brat," Sky stuck her tongue out at her.

"Your and Cady's room is the one on the left. Erik and I have the room to the right," Tristan told her.

"This is a long trip," Cady said. "How are we going to pass the time?"

"I can come up with a few ideas," Erik winked at Sky.

"Oh please," Cady rolled her eyes. "You're making me sick."

"We have games and some movies," Tristan said. "We'll pass the time. We'll be on Terra before you know it."

The ship entered the outer airspace of Arus and the pilot told them they were safe to move around. Sky quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and excused herself. The room she and Cady were going to share had two twin beds separated by a table with a lamp on it. It was a small room, but she quickly found the bed to be very comfortable. Kicking off her sneakers, she stretched out and fell into a doze.

* * *

Sky woke a couple hours later to the smell of coffee. She stood slowly and stretched, forgoing her shoes, she padded out to the main cabin of the ship in her socks. The three others had set up a folding table and had gathered around it. A large map was spread across the tabletop while Cady flipped through what appeared to be a visitor's guide. 

"Good morning, sunshine," Erik greeted her.

She walked over to the table and studied the map of Boston. "What's all this?" She asked as she picked up Erik's coffee.

"We're trying to decide what all we want to do and see while we're in Boston," Cady explained.

Sky scowled at the taste of the straight black coffee Erik was drinking, "Anything good?"

"Get your own," Erik teased, taking his mug from her hand.

"There are a couple of art museums you'd like," Cady told her.

"The Museum of Fine Arts and the Institute of Contemporary Arts," Tristan said.

"The Peabody Museum sounds pretty cool," Erik added. "And the USS Constitution Museum."

"I was thinking we could start with the Freedom Trail," Tristan explained. "It's a red line painted on the ground that connects sixteen historic sites throughout Boston. It gives you a great tour of the city. We'll then have to hit some of the lesser known places, I'll take you to some of my old hangouts."

"That sounds great," Sky said. "When are we going to do this? Tomorrow?"

Tristan shook his head, "No, we'll need to get settled in tomorrow and tomorrow night my parents are having a dinner party to introduce you guys to our friends and family."

"Really?" Cady asked, a little surprised.

"I didn't tell you because you were already nervous, I didn't want to add to it."

"What am I going to wear?"

Sky rolled her eyes, "Come on, Cady, I'm guessing that one of those trunks is filled with skirts, dresses, and at least one gown."

"Yeah, but which one am I going to wear?"

Tristan wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him, "Don't worry about that. You look gorgeous in anything."

Sky caught Erik's eye and rolled her eyes.

Erik folded up the map, "Didn't you say you brought some games with you?"

"What?" Tristan tore his gaze from his Princess and looked up at his friends. "Oh, yeah, in the cupboard over there."

* * *

Later that night, Cady waited until Erik and Sky had gone to their beds. She had noticed that Tristan seemed distracted and restless and she had hoped to get some time alone to speak with him before they landed. 

He was sitting in his seat, looking out the window, watching as space sped by. Wordlessly, she slipped into the seat beside his and lifted the armrest so she could sit closer to him. Tristan turned his head and smiled at her.

"Hey," Cady whispered as she cuddled up beside him, taking his hand and laying her head on his shoulder.

Tristan tilted his head and rested his cheek against her head, "Hey."

"How're you doing?"

"I'm fine. How're you?"

"Good. Do you want to talk about whatever's on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

Cady tucked her legs under her and lifted her head, "You seem…out of sorts. Are you worried about seeing your family?"

"No, not really," he looked down at their joined hands. "I guess I'm kind of nervous about _you_ seeing my family."

"Why?"

"Well, my family isn't like yours, Cady."

"I wouldn't expect them to be."

He let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair, "We're not very close, I mean, I see you and your family and how open you are with your feelings and how you're not just a family, but you're friends. We're…we're not like that. Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I appreciate all they have done for me over the years, but, well, it's different."

"Honey, your family is part of what made you the man you are, the man I love."

Tristan smiled softly and leaned over to kiss her, "So you won't let them scare you away?"

"Not even if they chased me across the yard with torches and pitchforks," she promised, sliding her arms around his neck.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap, "That's good to know."

"Will they?"

"Will they what?"

"Will they be chasing me across the yard with torches and pitchforks? Because if they are, I need to know so I wear good running shoes."

Tristan chuckled quietly, "Don't worry, if they bring out the pitchforks, I'll whisk you away in one of the cars so you don't need to worry about running."

"I'm actually a very good runner, I've had a lot of practice running from the twins."

"Well, not everyone in my family will be chasing you," he said, gently stroking her back. "You'll love my Aunt Frannie, she's great. And I have about a dozen little cousins who will be enthralled by the fact you're a Princess."

"I guess I should have brought my crown," she quipped as she nuzzled his throat.

"And your scepter."

"Sorry, honey, we stopped carrying scepters a long time ago."

"Couldn't you pretend?"

Cady lifted her head and looked at him, "How come you didn't bring all this up before?"

"I didn't realize you didn't carry scepters anymore."

"No, Tristan, why didn't you talk to me about your family before? I mean, I knew you weren't close, you never want to talk about them."

"There isn't much to tell."

"But you were so adamant about my meeting them."

"I do want you to meet them, and my friends. I love you, Cady and I want them to meet the woman I love, the woman I am most likely going to spend the rest of my life with." He captured her lips with his own in a long, tender kiss.

"But you're afraid of what I will think of them," Cady said when they broke apart.

"Not afraid, worried."

"Is that why you didn't tell me about this dinner party earlier?"

"No, I didn't tell you about that because I knew it would stress you out. I told my mother to not plan it for the day we arrived, but, of course, she didn't listen to me."

She slid her hands up to frame his face and force him to look at her, "Everything will be just fine, honey, I promise. We are going to have a great time, I am going to get to know you even better, and learn more about you. You are going to take me out on the town and show me where you grew up and then I am going to take you to meet my family. We're going to go shopping so I can take souvenirs back to the kids, we'll take enough pictures to fill three photo albums. We'll go to museums and plays and parks and anywhere else that looks like fun. We will have the time of our lives."

He smiled, flashing her his dimple, "Thank you, Cady."

"And if you don't show me a good time, there will be hell to pay."

"Hm," he pursed his lips. "Then I guess I'll have to plan something special for my gal."

She kissed him and disentangled herself from his embrace to stand, "I am going off to bed, I need to be properly rested for tomorrow. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it would be if I had to meet your family with dark circles under my eyes?"

Tristan stood and stretched, "You'd have to put a bag over your head. Go get your beauty sleep."

Cady lightly smacked his arm, "Not funny."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, "Good night, my beautiful, beautiful Princess."

* * *

Sky leaned over and looked out the window as their ship descended. It had been a long trip and she was dying to get on solid ground again. She loved to fly, but she was not the most patient passenger, especially when it was the twenty eight hour trip to Terra. 

"My mother and father are supposed to meet us," Tristan explained as the ground drew closer. "Our bags will be brought to the house."

"What time is the dinner party tonight?" Cady asked.

"Not until seven."

Erik checked his watch and did the math, "It's about ten thirty now."

"We made good time," Sky commented.

The ship slid in for a smooth landing on the tarmac of New England's busiest landing port. Tristan met the porter at the foot of the gangplank and gave him the instructions to deliver their luggage.

Cady slipped her purse over her shoulder and followed Sky and Erik out of the ship. She had forgotten how loud and big the Terran cities were, she was instantly overwhelmed and missed the quiet beauty of Arus.

"Hey," Tristan took her elbow. "You okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I just forgot what Terran cities were like, it's been a while," she replied, slipping her hand into his.

"Don't worry, my parents don't live _in_ Boston, but outside it in a less crowded suburb, we won't be staying here."

"Where do we go?" Sky asked.

Tristan looked around, "Over there, my parents should be waiting by the parking lot."

Cady steeled her nerves and tossed her hair back, allowing Tristan to led her through the crowd. Her heart was racing as she checked out every older person they passed, wondering who his parents were and what they looked like. Would they accept her? Would they be nice?

"Tristan! Darling!" A lovely woman with salt and pepper hair and dark glasses walked purposefully toward them.

"Mother," he took her hands and accepted her kiss on the cheek. "You look lovely, how are you?"

"I'm fine, darling. You look wonderful, I guess being on this Arus is doing wonders for you."

Cady watched the exchange, wondering why they hadn't hugged or been more excited. If she hadn't seen her mother in months, they would still be hugging and crying.

"Mother, I would like you to meet my friends," Tristan turned to them. "This is Erik Johasson and Schuyler Collier."

They each shook her hand and greeted her formally.

"And this," Tristan held his hand out to Cady. "Is Cady Whitaker."

His mother curtsied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

Cady smiled sheepishly and offered the other woman her hand, "Really, Mrs. Alexander, that's not necessary, please call me Cady."

"Oh, Cady," Mrs. Alexander took her hand in both of hers. "You are such a beautiful girl. Please, call me Josie, all of you. I am so glad Tristan brought you all home."

"Mother? Where's Dad?" Tristan asked, looking around.

"Oh, Darling, I'm so sorry. Your father had to go to the office, he was so sorry he couldn't be here now, but he will definitely see you at supper tonight."

Tristan nodded slowly, "Why don't we head home? It's been a long trip and we would like to relax for a bit."

"Of course, please follow me. I'll take you home and you can get settled in and then we'll chat over lunch, get to know each other."

Cady slipped her hand into Tristan's and squeezed gently. He smiled at her and dropped her hand. She was puzzled by his behavior, but let it go, figuring he was just upset about his father not being there.

* * *

The Alexander Estate was a thirty minute drive from the ship port. It had been a mostly quiet ride with only a little small talk. The large car was driven by an older man who wore a jacket and matching cap while the five of them sat in the back, behind a sound proof glass partition on two bench seats, facing each other. Erik, Sky, and Cady sat facing Tristan and his mother. 

"Franklin and Marjorie Wellington won't be able to make it tonight," Josie was telling her son. "But Alexis will be there."

"Great," he replied dully. "And why did you invite her?"

"Oh really, Tristan, she wanted to see you."

"How many people are going to be there?"

"Twenty five."

"Glad to see you kept it small."

Josie smoothed her pale green skirt and sighed, "I don't appreciate your sarcasm, Tristan, I hate to think that being away from home for so long has ruined your manners."

"No, Mother."

Cady watched this exchange with curiosity and sadness. She had thought, and hoped, that their reunion would be a happy one, an excited one. Not a cold, impersonal one. _This must be what he was trying to prepare me for,_ she thought.

Tristan caught her looking at him and gave her a small smile and a wink.

Josie turned her attention to her son's girlfriend, "So, Cady, dear, tell me about yourself."

"Well, let's see. I am the oldest of six children, my mother is the ruling monarch of Arus, Queen Allura Whitaker and my father is the commander of the Arusian military and the original pilot of Voltron's Black Lion."

"Six children?" Josie asked, impressed. "Your parents must be saints."

"It probably wasn't easy, especially with my twin brothers, Declan and Gideon. They're a couple of troublemakers, but they're really good guys. They are both Voltron pilots now, along with Erik and Sky. Then there are my sisters, Tess and Charlotte, and Nicholas is the youngest, he's going to be seven in a couple of months. My parents are amazing, I don't know how they did it all, but they raised the six of us, with the help of Nanny, and kept Arus safe, along with the rest of the Voltron Force."

"Now are you the heir to the throne?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"So what exactly do you do to pass the time?"

"I am taking classes in interplanetary law and diplomacy. I have certain responsibilities, I sometimes act as my mother's stand-in when she can't attend ceremonies. I help out with my brothers and sisters, especially with Nicky."

"That sounds lovely dear. It must be terribly exciting to be a Princess."

Cady looked at Tristan who appeared a little embarrassed by his mother's questioning. "I guess some people might think so. I mean, it's just who I am, I don't think I'm any different than anyone else."

"Oh, of course," Josie gushed. "You do seem like such a regular person."

"Mother," Tristan sighed.

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful and quiet. Sky fell asleep leaning against Erik while everyone else passed the time watching the early spring New England landscape pass them by.

The car turned onto a large, curved driveway and came to a stop in front of a huge, three story brink mansion. The estate sat atop a hill surrounded by trees. It was clear, cool, and beautiful.

"Follow me," Josie said as they followed her up the front steps to the front door, which opened upon their arrival. "I will show you to your rooms."

The front foyer was immense with a marble floor that extended into the hallway and a huge crystal chandelier hung over their heads. An antique deacon bench sat beside the door with an immense mirror surrounded by a gilded frame hanging on the wall above it.

They followed her up the sweeping stairway and to the left where four doors lined both sides of the hallway.

"The guest bathroom is there on the right. Erik, this is your room," she opened the first door.

His bedroom was painted a muted beige with a rug covered with an abstract design in dark green and brown decorating it in the center of the hardwood floor. A dresser with a vase of fresh flowers on top of it stood between the two windows on the wall opposite the door. Along the wall to the left was a door that led to a closet and an antique desk complete with an old banker's lamp. The bed was double sized and covered in a brown duvet.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Erik smiled.

"Now, Schuyler, you'll be next door to Erik," Josie led them down to the next door.

Sky's room was more feminine. The wallpaper was off white with columns of delicate lavender flowers. The carpet was thick and cream colored, the queen sized bed was covered in a lavender comforter and piled high with pillows of lavender, cream, and pale green. The headboard, dresser, and vanity were all pine and vases of fresh flowers sat on top the vanity, dresser and bedside tables.

Sky smiled, "Its lovely, Mrs. Alexander, thank you."

"And last, but certainly not least, your room is across the hall, Cady."

Cady's room was the biggest by far. Two large windows were framed with lace drapes and looked out over the beautifully landscaped backyard. The walls were painted a pale blue color and with a white chair rail encircling the room. A large bed was covered in a thick blue and white quilt and what appeared to be about a dozen pillows. The dresser, desk, vanity and two bedside tables were all painted white and, like the other rooms, fresh flowers were placed around the room.

"Thank you, Mrs. Alexander," she said.

"Please," Josie smiled at them all. "Please, call me Josie. Now, make yourselves at home. Lunch will be served in an hour. Your bags will be brought to your rooms while you eat and you can unpack this afternoon. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to see to about tonight's dinner. I will see you all at lunch."

The four of them were left standing in the hallway, wondering what they should do to pass the next hour.

"Well, it certainly feels good to not be moving for once," Sky commented.

"That's for sure," Erik added.

"This is a beautiful house, Tristan," Cady said.

"Yeah, thanks," he mumbled. "We moved here when I was sixteen."

"Where's your room?"

"The family rooms are in the other wing. I'll give you all a tour later."

Erik looked around, "Well, uh, I guess I'm going to go lay down until lunch and enjoy the fact that we're on solid ground again."

"Yeah, me too," Sky said.

The two of them slipped into their rooms and shut the doors, leaving Cady and Tristan standing in the hall.

"Do you want to talk?" She asked quietly.

He gave her a soft smile, "What about?"

Cady shrugged, "I don't know. Whatever's on your mind."

"I'm sorry, Cady," he said, uneasily. "Come here." Tristan took her hand and led her into her room, shutting the door behind them. "I don't know how to explain it. I guess, well, as you can probably tell my relationship with my mother isn't exactly like the one you have with your mother. I suddenly feel like I'm thirteen again and trying to live up to their expectations."

"Oh honey," Cady breathed, framing his face with her hands. "You have done so much with your life, you have so much to be proud of. You don't have anything to prove to anyone. I can't help but see how uncomfortable you are, is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, I'm fine. I promise to be in a better mood."

"Good," she stood on her toes and kissed him. "Now then, who's Alexis?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, "What?"

"Your mother mentioned Alexis was coming tonight and you didn't seem too happy about that announcement."

Tristan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him, "She's no one, my mother's best friend's daughter. We grew up together."

"An old friend?"

He shrugged, "Sort of."


	3. Meeting Her Adversary

Cady found herself struck with a sudden case of nerves. She wasn't used to feeling nervous but when she was, it made her irritable. And the fact that she had been so nervous over the past couple of days did not help her mood.

"Cady," Sky knocked on the door. "Can I come in?"

"Please," Cady called back.

Sky walked in wearing her plain, red dress with her straight mahogany hair hanging down just past her shoulders. Her face was made up with just a touch of lip gloss and mascara. She looked simply pretty and comfortable.

_But she doesn't have to impress anyone tonight_, Cady thought as her friend walked confidently into the room.

"Cady, you look great! When did you get that dress?" Sky asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

The Princess stood by the vanity wearing a knee length dress in smoky blue silk that brought out her brilliant blue eyes. It was straight cut, clinging to her curves without giving too much away. Around her throat was a string of pearls that her parents had given her for her eighteenth birthday along with the matching pearls that hung from her ears. Her thick golden curls were pulled back behind her ears with pearl lined combs and on her feet were white pumps that matched her jewelry. Over the back of the vanity chair was draped the wrap that matched her dress.

"Thanks, Sky. I got it a couple of weeks ago, do you think I'm overdressed?"

"I think you look great and I think you're nervous."

Cady crossed to the bed and sat beside her best friend, "I am, Sky, I am really nervous."

"You have no reason to be, Cady. They will love you. Just don't spill your meal all over yourself and you'll do fine."

"What if I do spill it all over myself?"

"Then you're screwed."

"Oh geez, Sky, now I will, thanks, you've cursed me."

The door had been left open ajar and Erik knocked softly.

"Come in," Cady said, standing to pace the room.

"Wow, you girls look great," he said.

"So do you," Sky looked him up and down. "It's not often I get to see you in a suit."

Erik tucked his thumbs behind his lapels and rocked back on his heels, "What can I say, I clean up rather nicely."

He wore a gray suit with a sheen in the fabric, a darker, almost silver shirt, and a tie with silvery gray stripes.

"Yes you do, you look hot," Sky assured him, moving to stand in front of him and straightening his tie.

"If I had known you were wearing that, I would have brought my blue suit and red tie," he said, looking her up and down before lowering his voice. "You had to wear that dress, didn't you? You know what that dress does to me."

"What?" She asked innocently. "You told me on your birthday that you liked it."

Erik groaned quietly and whispered, "No, I said I liked taking it off you."

"I can hear you," Cady said from across the room as she wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. "And I am hearing too much."

Somewhere in the house a clock chimed the hour.

"Okay, it's seven," Cady said unnecessarily.

Erik looked at Sky, "Our little Cady has learned to tell time."

"Don't pick on her," Sky warned him. "She's nervous."

"Cady? Nervous? _No_."

"Yes, so you be nice."

"You both better behave yourselves," Cady said.

Erik rolled his eyes, "Come on Cady, you're not the only member of royalty here. I've taken a few etiquette classes myself."

"Well, me, I'm just a stupid bumpkin," Sky grumbled. "I hope I can at least remember to keep my finger out of my nose tonight."

"I would appreciate that," Tristan said wryly as he stood in the doorway.

Cady swallowed hard and took in the sight of her boyfriend. He was wearing a dark blue suit, a light blue shirt, and a modern looking tie with a blue and red design.

"I am so glad I didn't bring my blue suit," Erik said. "If we had shown up in the same suit, it would have made the society pages as a major faux pas."

"Erik!" Cady hissed, mortified.

"Come on, Erik, I need your help," Sky took his hand and pulled him toward the door.

"With what?" He asked.

"With giving Cady and Tristan a moment alone," she answered, shutting the door behind them as they left.

"You look beautiful," Tristan said.

"Thank you," Cady replied shyly. "You're looking rather dapper this evening."

"In this old thing? You will outshine us all tonight, Cady."

"Is…is everyone here?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Why, my beautiful Princess, are you nervous?"

"No."

"I think you are. Come here," he held his hand out for her. He pulled her close, holding both her hands with his own. "You have faced gatherings ten times as large as this one and fought off dozens of suitors. You have nothing to be nervous about."

"I never had to worry so much about impressing a group of people."

"You have impressed me," he assured her. "And that's all that matters."

"What if I don't fit in with your friends?" She asked quietly, toying with the buttons of his jacket

"My friends are a great group of people, you will all get along just fine. I fit in with your friends, didn't I?"

"Yeah, well, you're very likeable…"

"Thank you."

"…when you don't have that stick up your butt."

Tristan gave her a look of surprise, "I've never had a stick up my butt."

"Yes you did, when you first arrived on Arus," she told him, slipping her arms under his jacket and around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. "And you ignored me."

"I never ignored you," he assured her, wrapping his arms around her. "You drove me crazy."

"Oh yeah?"

"You have no idea."

Cady tilted her head up, "I think I have some idea."

Tristan slowly lowered his head but before his lips could touch hers, she pulled back and smiled at him.

"I can't let you mess up my makeup," she said simply, stepping out of his embrace. "Besides, we should head downstairs, shouldn't we?"

"Tease."

Cady looked over her shoulder, her hand resting on the doorknob, "What goes around, comes around, honey."

"True, Cady, and remember, you're the one who said it," he winked at her as they left the room.

Tristan and Cady were the first down the stairs, followed by Erik and Sky. The Princess had her hand tucked into the crook of his elbow as they descended into the foyer where more guests were arriving.

"Tristan! Oh, I am so glad you're home!" A plump woman with brown hair clasped her hands together and rushed toward the stairs.

"Aunt Frannie," Tristan smiled and hugged the woman. "It's nice seeing you again. I have someone important for you to meet." He turned to Cady and took her elbow, "Aunt Frannie, this is Cady Whitaker. Cady, this is my Aunt Frannie, by father's sister."

"_Younger_ sister," Frannie winked at Cady. "And it is such a pleasure to meet you, Cady. Now, you're a princess, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Cady said, knowing that she would like Frannie.

"That must be terribly exciting. I know my daughter, Jenifer would just love to talk to you about it."

"Aunt Frannie," Tristan interrupted. "I would also like to introduce friends of ours, Erik Johasson and Schuyler Collier. Erik is a prince, you know."

"Really?" Frannie turned her attention to the other two. "How exciting, two royals attending dinner with us."

"Tristan, darling," Josie Alexander approached them from the parlor. A tall, distinguished man with silver hair and dressed in a dark suit walked with her. "There you are, we've been looking for you."

"Cady, this is my father Tristan Vincent Samuel Alexander the fifth, everyone calls him Vince," Tristan introduced them. "Dad, I would like you to meet Cadence Whitaker."

"It's a pleasure, my dear," Vince said, taking the hand Cady offered him and kissing her knuckles.

She smiled at the handsome man who bore a striking resemblance to her boyfriend, "The pleasure is all mine, sir."

"And Dad, these are friends of ours, Erik Johansson and Schuyler Collier," Tristan introduced.

"You are two lucky men," Vince said as he shook Erik's hand. "To be traveling with such lovely young women."

"Yes sir," Erik winked at Sky, "we're very lucky."

"Why don't you all join us in the parlor now, there are so many people you all need to meet," Josie ushered them through the open doorway where butlers moved through the small crowd with trays of hors d'oeuvres.

The din of conversation rose slightly as the four of them entered the room with Tristan's parents.

"Tristan, your grandmother is waiting to see you," Josie said. "And I know she is just dying to meet your friends."

Cady slid her hand down Tristan's arm and laced her fingers through his as they moved through the room. Tristan would nod and greet a few people as they approached the sofa in the center of the room beside the massive fireplace where a merry fire was crackling and warming the room.

"Grandmother," Tristan stood before the elderly woman who was seated in the center of the sofa, two young girls sitting beside her.

"Tristan," her voice was wavering and surprisingly deep. "It's so wonderful to see you again."

He leaned over and kissed her cool, powdered cheek, "And you, Grandmother. You look well."

Iona Alexander, the matriarch of the family, mother of five, grandmother of twelve and great grandmother of two, surveyed her grandson and his friends. The young blonde woman standing beside him was quite beautiful in a sweet way and she was obviously Cady. "As do you, Tristan, as do you. Now, have you forgotten your manners, or are you going to introduce me."

"Of course, Grandmother, these are my friends, Erik Johasson and Schuyler Collier. Erik, Sky, this is my Grandmother Alexander. And Grandmother, this is Cady Whitaker."

They each took turns gently shaking the woman's frail hand. "How are you all finding your visit here?"

"It's a lovely home, Ma'am, and Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have been so kind to us." Cady replied. "We just arrived this morning, but we can't wait to see more of Boston."

"You're the Arusian Princess, aren't you?" Iona asked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Are you really a Princess?" The little girl sitting on the sofa asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Uh, Cady, these are two of my cousins, Jenifer and Cecilia," Tristan introduced them.

"What's it like?" Cecilia asked. "Being a Princess?"

"Where's your crown?" Jenifer asked.

"Are you gonna be Queen some day?"

"If you marry Tristan, would he become a Prince?"

Tristan groaned quietly as Cady smiled.

"Being a Princess," Cady began. "Is like being a normal person, but with more work and responsibilities."

"But you get to wear a crown and pretty dresses."

"Yes, I do."

"Do you live in a castle?" Jenifer asked.

"Yes, I do," Cady glanced at her cousin. "And Erik is my cousin, he's a Prince on his home planet of Pollux."

Both girls gasped. "You are?"

Erik glared at his cousin before turning to the two girls and smiling, "Yes, I am."

"Do you live in a castle too?"

"Do you have a crown too?"

"Are you going to be King some day?"

"Are you a Princess too?"

The last question was aimed at Sky who jolted with surprise.

"No," Sky told them. "I'm a pilot."

Jenifer and Cecilia looked at each other and giggled.

"Girls aren't pilots," Cecilia whispered.

"Excuse me?" Sky raised an eyebrow and put both hands on her hips.

Iona patted her granddaughter on the arm, "That's not true, Cecilia, a girl can do anything a boy can do. You know that."

"Sky is a great pilot," Tristan told them.

"Do you fly a plane?"

"Or a space ship?"

"I fly a big Lion," Sky told them.

"What?" Both girls said at the same time.

"Have you ever heard of Voltron?"

Jenifer and Cecilia nodded.

"I fly the Red Lion and Erik flies Black Lion."

"Wow," the little girls gasped.

"Here, why don't you have a seat," Iona moved aside to make room on the sofa. "Tristan, Erik, go get drinks for your lady friends."

Cady sat beside Tristan's grandmother and smiled.

"Where's your crown?" Jenifer asked again.

"I left it at home, crowns don't travel well," Cady whispered.

Erik and Tristan made their way to the back corner of the room where a bar had been setup.

"I think they're safe with my Grandmother, but when my mother gets them alone is when we have a problem," Tristan muttered as he watched his mother parade a few more relatives up to Cady. His Uncle Jack bowed and Aunt Diana curtsied.

"Don't worry about it, man," Erik replied. "Cady loves being the center of attention."

"I know. But I didn't bring her here to be put on display for my mother's friends."

Erik studied his friend as they waited for the waiter to pour the wine. "Cady knows that. She can handle this."

Tristan nodded, took the two glasses of wine and turned. It took every ounce of self-control that he had to keep from dropping both glasses when he came face to face with Alexis Wellington.

"Tristan."

"Alexis."

Erik looked from Tristan to the gorgeous woman standing in front of him. Alexis stood nearly as tall as Tristan in her ice-pick heels. Her platinum blonde hair brushed her shoulders in a sleek, stylish bob. She wore a black dress that clung to every curve and raised the blood pressure of every man in the room. If he had thought it was possible, Erik would have said she had stepped right out of the pages of a fashion magazine.

He cleared his throat.

Tristan looked at him, "Erik, this is, uh, this is Alexis Wellington. Alexis, this is Erik Johansson."

Erik took the hand she offered and shook as she flashed him a beguiling smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexis."

"And you," she replied huskily.

"If you'll excuse me," Erik picked up two glasses of white wine and moved to return to the couch.

"That is certainly one attractive man," Alexis said, watching Erik walk away.

"He's a pilot," Tristan told her.

She turned her gaze to him, "There are worse things in the world."

"So you've changed your view?"

"On more than one thing."

"See the brunette sitting on the couch?"

Alexis nodded.

"That's Sky Collier, Erik's girlfriend."

"Are they engaged?"

"Not yet."

"If rings haven't been exchanged, then he is still on the market."

Tristan rolled his eyes, "You haven't changed as much as you think. What Erik and Sky have is something you could never understand, Alexis."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that you could walk up to him right now, completely naked, and he wouldn't even notice you. The two of them have a relationship that you normally only see in movies or books. You could work every trick in your book and he wouldn't even give you the time of day."

She licked her lips, "Sounds like a challenge."

"It's not, Alexis. Especially if you don't want Sky to tear you apart."

She turned back to him, taking one of the wine glasses from him, "I'm really glad I got to see you, Tristan."

"It was nice seeing you too, Alexis," Tristan turned to the waiter and requested another glass. "But I would like to get back to Cady."

"Where is she?"

"The beautiful blonde sitting next to Sky."

Alexis glanced over at the sofa and examined the Princess. "She's cute."

"She's amazing."

"She looks young."

"She's twenty."

"Really?" Alexis turned back to him. "How is she fitting in here?"

"Just fine."

"Are you really going back to that…planet?"

"You mean Arus? Yes. We're just visiting."

"You can't tell me you're really happy out in the middle of nowhere."

"Arus is not out in the middle of nowhere. And yes, I am very happy there. I am able to fly and I can be with Cady."

"There was a time you were very happy here."

Tristan glared at her, "Don't start with that, Alexis. If you'll excuse me, I would like to get back to my girlfriend."

"Thank you," Cady smiled up at Tristan as he handed her a glass of wine. "Your grandmother was trying to acquaint us with all your family members."

"And since my grandson didn't think to get me a drink," Iona held her hand up and allowed Tristan to help her to her feet. "I will see to it myself."

He gave Cady a sheepish look, offered his arm to his grandmother and escorted her to the bar.

"I like you a lot better than Alexis," Jenifer whispered to Cady.

The Princess glanced at her best friend, but Sky and Erik were talking to some woman. She turned back to Jenifer, "Who's Alexis?"

"She's the other girl Tristan was gonna marry," Cecilia explained.

Cady felt her stomach fall to her knees and an iron vice of envy and pain tighten around her heart. "Marry?"

"Uh huh, they were gonna get married, but when Tristan became a pilot, she broke up with him."

"But she isn't nice, she doesn't talk to us," Jenifer explained.

"Is, uh, is Alexis here?"

The two girls looked around, Jenifer saw her first. "Yeah, she's talking to Aunt Joise, the girl in the black dress."

Cady turned to see 'the girl in the black dress' and felt a strange combination of dread, jealousy, and slight panic. _That's Tristan's ex-girlfriend?_ She thought. Then she turned and Cady caught a full picture of Alexis Wellington. _She's gorgeous! And she broke up with him, he didn't break up with her?_ Cady suddenly wanted to be home, in her room, away from here, away from Tristan's gorgeous ex-girlfriend, away from the obvious stares of his family.

"Cady?"

She looked up to see Tristan standing before her, "What?"

"Are you okay?" He shooed his young cousins aside and sat beside her. She had been staring at his mother and Alexis with her mouth opened slightly and her face frightfully pale.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, why?"

"You looked like you saw a ghost or something."

She smiled unconvincingly, "I'm great, honey, where's Grandmother Alexander?"

"She's lecturing my cousin Josh on how to properly tie his necktie."

She nodded, "Do you know when dinner is going to be served?"

"It should be soon. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she assured him, taking a large gulp of her wine.

Tristan reached up and gently brushed her hair behind her shoulder, confused by her behavior, "Easy on the wine, babe, or you'll be leaving the wrong impression on my family."

"Tristan!"

They both looked up to see a young man, shorter than Tristan, with brown hair and a sweet, round face. He walked over to them as Tristan jumped to his feet, a grin on his face.

"Owen!" Tristan greeted his friend with a backslapping hug.

"How are you man?" Owen asked. "It's been ages."

"I'm great. How are you? How's law school?"

"Classes are boring, the girls are uptight, and it's a dry campus, so you tell me."

"You should have joined the Garrison with me."

Owen looked at Cady and winked at her, "I guess I should have. Is this the amazing, beautiful, girl you met while on assignment?"

Cady stood, "I hope so. I'd hate to think you found Captain Klari beautiful."

Tristan grinned at her and took her hand, "Cady this is Owen McIntyre, my best friend since the second grade. Owen, this is Cady Whitaker, the amazing, beautiful girl I met while on assignment."

Owen bowed at the waist, "It is always a pleasure to meet a pretty lady. It's just too bad you met this loser first. But then you still have time to dump him and run away with me."

She glanced at Tristan and appeared to give it some thought, "It's nice to know I have a backup if he ever does anything to make me want to dump him."

Owen let out a loud bark of laughter that earned him a few dirty looks, "Just give him a few more weeks. I'll give you my number where you can reach me at any time."

"All right, enough of that, McIntyre," Tristan warned. "You always try to steal my women, well this will be the one time you don't."

The tinkling of a bell was heard and all chatter died down.

"Dinner is now being served in the dining room," a maid announced.

Tristan and Owen each offered her an arm and after a moment's consideration, Cady slipped her arms through both of theirs, walking into the dining room between the two boys.

The table in the center of the dark paneled dining room was set to sit over twenty people. The younger children were sent to a smaller table in the kitchen. The china was a creamy white with gold edges, the silverware was antique and polished to a shine, the crystal was hefty and also lined with gold. Candelabras held six candles, burning softly, half way down each end of the table. Small cards were at each place setting and they all moved around looking for their seats.

Cady sat beside Tristan, with Owen on the other side of him. Across the table sat Erik and Sky while Tristan's mother and father sat at either end. Conversation was low and reserved as everyone settled around the table. Cady looked around, trying to remember the names of all the aunts, uncles, and friends Mrs. Alexander had introduced her to.

"Hello there."

Cady turned to the seat beside her and watched as Alexis elegantly slid into the chair. "Oh, hello."

"I'm Alexis Wellington," she said, smiling sweetly and offering Cady her hand.

"Cady Whitaker. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Katie. That's such a cute name, what's it short for? Katherine? Kathleen?"

"No, actually it's short for Cadence."

"Cadence. That is certainly an…exotic name. Oh, Cady Whitaker," Alexis looked her up and down. "Oh, of course, you're Tristan's new girlfriend."

"Yes, I am," Cady decided to play along. "And how do you know Tristan, are you another cousin?"

Alexis laughed, "Oh no, Tristan and I are…old friends."

Josie stood at her end of the table and gently tapped the edge of her glass with a spoon. When everybody quieted down, she spoke. "Thank you all for coming tonight. As you know, we are all here to welcome Tristan, our only son, home for an extended vacation. But also to welcome his friends, Her Royal Highness Princess Cadence Whitaker of Arus, His Royal Highness Prince Erik of Pollux, and his fiancée, Schuyler Collier of the Royal Arusian military."

Cady's head snapped up and she met Sky's eyes across the table. Her friend looked just as shocked and they both turned to Erik who shrugged, looking just as confused as the two of them.

A light smattering of applause sounded around the table.

"When did Erik propose?" Tristan whispered in Cady's ear.

"I don't think he did," she whispered back.

"So you're a princess?" Alexis asked as the salad was served.

"Yes, I am."

"That must be terribly exciting."

Cady shrugged, "I'm really no different from anyone else. What do you do, Alexis?"

"I work for a fashion designer."

"Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun. What do you do?"

"Well, I am just starting out in the business, but I work in the firm, doing odd jobs, working my way up through the industry."

"Do you design clothes?"

"I dabble in it," Alexis admitted. "What exactly do you do? As a Princess, I mean."

"Right now I am taking courses at the University in interplanetary justice and diplomacy. I have certain responsibilities to see to, meetings and whatnot. If our planet is ever attacked, it's my responsibility to make sure all of our people get to safety. I also help out with my brothers and sisters, trying to keep them in line."

"So," Owen leaned over and whispered to Tristan. "Does it worry you that Alexis and Cady seem to be getting along so well?"

"No, I trust Cady, I have nothing to hide from her," he replied.

"Does she know about your past with Alexis?"

"She knows I've dated before."

"Your mother is quite impressed with the fact that your girlfriend is a Princess."

Tristan poked at the lettuce on his plate and sent his friend a sideways glance, "It's all she's talked about since I got involved with Cady. It gives her some amazing bragging rights."

"How is Cady handling it?"

"As graciously as always."

Owen studied his friend a moment before whispering, "She really is the one, isn't she?"

Tristan didn't hesitate as he met his friend's eyes and replied, "Yes, she is."

* * *

"Congratulations on your engagement," Cady said as she and Erik and Sky made their way upstairs several hours later. 

"Yeah, what was that about?" Sky asked.

Erik shrugged, "No idea."

"Where's Tristan?" Sky asked.

"He said he needed to talk to his mother." Cady glanced around before motioning them closer. "Did he ever talk to you guys about Alexis?"

"Yeah, what's the story with her?" Sky looked at Erik.

He shook his head, "Don't ask me, I just met her tonight."

"She, uh, she seems nice," Cady said hesitantly. "She offered to take me shopping."

Sky raised her eyebrows, "Shopping?"

"Okay, here's the thing. Tristan's cousins said that they were engaged, but _she_ broke up with _him_ when she found out he was going to train to be a pilot. We spoke during dinner and she works in the fashion industry and she offered to take me shopping, help me pick out some Terran fashions to take home. So I thought…"

"Cady," Sky interrupted. "Don't do this."

"But I can find out more about him. I want to know her, what he saw in her, what happened between them. She can give me the inside look at Tristan that no one else can."

Sky looked at her friend, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Cady, I have to agree with Sky. Don't do this. It will blow up in your face." Erik warned.

"I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't."

"Come on, Cady, don't do this." Sky pleaded. "You came here to meet Tristan's family and have fun. Just forget about Alexis."

"You guys need to trust me, I know what I'm doing," she grinned at them. "But now I am going to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Whatever this Freedom Trail thing is. Good night."

"Good night," Sky said, watching her friend disappear into her room. "This isn't good, Erik."

"No, it's not. But she has this plan formulated and you know she will go through with it. All you can do is what you do every time she does something stupid like this and be there for her when she realizes it was a mistake and wants to cry and eat ice cream."

Sky sighed and allowed Erik to pull her into a hug. "Brownies."

"What?"

She tilted her head back and looked at him, "She cries and eats brownies, not ice cream."

"Oh that's right," he kissed her forehead. "You're the ice cream eater."

* * *

Cady carefully packed her jewelry away and sat at the vanity, brushing her hair out when the knock she had been expecting finally came. "Who is it?" 

"It's me," Tristan responded lowly.

She crossed to the door, and opened it. He stood on the other side, his tie off and hanging out of his jacket pocket, the top button of his shirt undone. He looked cute. "Hi."

"Hi," he smiled softly at his Princess. She stood before him, barefoot, and wearing a long, light blue nightgown. Her hair hung in a mass of loose waves and curls down her back and over her left shoulder. It took tremendous willpower to stop from forcing her back into the room and having his way with her.

"How are you doing?" She asked, at a loss of what else to say.

"I'm fine," he reached out and touched her hair. "How're you?"

"Good. Ready for bed."

"Then I won't keep you."

"You can keep me."

Tristan smiled, "I may just take you up on that."

Cady took his hand and pulled him into the room, "I wish you would."

He ran his fingers through her hair and smiled, "Is this another one of your 'tease' lessons."

"No, I don't feel like teasing," she whispered, stepping into his embrace.

"Thank you for putting up with everything tonight."

Cady tilted her head back, "What do you mean?"

"I had asked my mother to hold off on a party until we could get settled in. I'm sorry you were rushed into this tonight and paraded in front of all my mother's friends and family."

"It's all right, Tristan, this is nothing new to me."

"I know, I just…"

"Just what, honey?"

He lowered his forehead to rest against hers, "I just don't want you to feel like you're on display, I don't want her to make you feel that way."

"I'm the oldest child of the Queen of Arus, I am next in line for the throne, and I look almost exactly like my mother. I have been on display since I was born."

"You know that's not why I brought you here, right?"

"I know, Tristan. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just…you amaze me, Cady. I love you, very, very much."

She slid her arms round his neck and hugged him tightly, "I love you too, Tristan. And I meant it when I said that I won't let your family chase me away, so calm down, have fun."

"We'll have fun," he promised. "I was thinking we could meet Owen and some more of my friends tomorrow for dinner."

"Oh good, I like Owen and I can't wait to meet more of your friends. Will Alexis be there?"

If Tristan was surprised by her question, he hid it well, "I don't think so."

"She seems nice."

He gently stroked her back, "I really don't want to talk about Alexis."

"Oh? What did you want to talk about?" She asked, tilting her head as he brushed his lips down her throat.

His mouth found it's way up to her ear, "How beautiful you are."

"Are you trying to take advantage of me?"

"Is it working?"

Cady pushed the jacket off his shoulders and helped him wrestle his arms out of the sleeves. "Yeah, I think it is."

Tristan slid his hands up her body and framed her face, kissing her gently. Cady surrendered herself, falling against him, clutching his shirt with one hand and weaving the fingers of her other hand into his thick, ebony hair as the kiss deepened. He very slowly pulled back, watching the content, relaxed expression on her face.

"Cady?"

"Hm?"

"When did Erik propose to Sky?"

"What?" She shook her head slightly as though she was trying to clear the fog from her mind.

"My mother announced their engagement."

"Oh, she was wrong. We don't know where she came up with that."

"Hm. Well, I'll talk to her."

"Don't worry about it," Cady whispered, nuzzling his throat. "They didn't seem too upset."

He unwound her arms from his neck and smiled at her, "We have a busy day planned tomorrow, get some rest."

"Tristan…"

He kissed her cheek, "Good night, beautiful."

"What just…"

Tristan winked at her as he opened the door, "What goes around comes around, honey."

Cady stood with her hands on her hips, "Not funny, Tristan."

He blew her a kiss and shut the door behind him.

"Oh, he's going to pay for that one," she muttered.


	4. Allegations

Cady knew that she didn't work out as much as the others, but she had always thought she was in decent shape. By mid afternoon, they had seen a lot of Boston. It was a beautiful city and the history did amaze her, the age of the buildings, what the people did during the Revolutionary to gain their independence. And while she could appreciate how hard they fought, what they had done, if she had to see one more military monument she was going to scream. Not to mention the fact that she was starting to feel smothered by all the people. She had never been so jostled or felt so claustrophobic in her life. And on top of all that, the temperature had peaked at just above thirty degrees.

"How are you holding up?" Tristan asked as they walked through Charlestown.

"I'm fine," she smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "But I wouldn't mind getting something to eat."

Erik laid his hand on his stomach, "I'm with you there, Cady."

"There's a café up here a ways. They have some good sandwiches and hot soup. We can stop there and hit the USS Constitution after we eat." Tristan suggested.

"So what are the plans tonight?" Sky asked. "We're meeting some of your friends?"

"Yeah, there's this pub we used to hang out in. They have some great food, the best Shepard's Pie you'll ever have, and the beer is cold and comes in big mugs."

"Will we have time to go home and change?" Cady asked.

Tristan looked at her, "Is that why you brought so many clothes? So you can change three times a day?"

"This will only be the second outfit of the day and I can't go out in my walking clothes, I need to put on something more suitable for hitting the town in the evening."

"There is a difference between daywear and eveningwear," Sky explained as they entered the warmth of the small cafe. "Then there's day makeup and evening makeup."

"Day hair and evening hair," Cady added.

"You have no idea how easy you men have it," Sky sighed.

Rolling his eyes, Erik said, "Come on, Sunny, you look hot no matter what."

"Ohhhh, good response, Erik," she kissed his cheek.

"You've trained him well," Cady muttered as she studied the menu hanging behind the counter.

"What did you use? A rolled up newspaper?" Tristan asked.

"No," Erik wrapped his arms around Sky. "She uses special rewards."

"Okay," Cady held her hands up. "I don't want to lose my appetite."

"Their clam chowder is terrific," Tristan said, trying to change the subject.

They all jumped in surprise when Erik's communicator sounded. He unclipped it from his belt and excused himself to step outside.

"I wonder what that's about," Sky murmured, watching him through the front window.

"You'll find out soon enough," Cady told her. "Split a sandwich with me?"

Sky turned back to the counter, "Sure. No tomatoes."

"You can pick them off. Can I have a cup of clam chowder and a turkey sandwich, please. Oh, and a soda."

The bored teen boy behind the counter looked at the three of them, "Is this all together?"

"Yes," Tristan said before the others could speak. "There's a fourth as well. Sky? You ready to order?"

"I'll have a cup of clam chowder and, well, I guess I'll order for Erik. Um, another cup of clam chowder and the chicken club and two sodas."

Tristan placed his order and paid while the girls took their cups to the soda machines. They took their number and found a table before Erik joined them again.

"Everything okay?" Sky asked when he sat down.

"I am officially off the hook," he said.

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked.

Realization dawned on Sky, "Lauria had the baby."

He nodded and turned to Tristan, "My Uncle Bandor's wife had a baby last night, their first, a boy."

"And that means you are no longer the next in line for the throne," Tristan concluded.

Erik smiled, "Yup. Xavior Bandor. A healthy eight pounds, six ounces, twenty-one inches long. Mother and son are doing fine."

Sky reached across the table and squeezed his hand, "You okay with this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now I really can concentrate on flying and working on the Polluxian military with my father."

"The Polluxian military?" Tristan asked. "What about Black? And Voltron?"

"I am flying Black as long as I need to, as long as Black calls me. But I still have responsibilities to my home planet and it's safety."

"What about you?" Tristan asked Sky as their meals were delivered.

She took the half a sandwich that Cady offered and replied, "My home is with Erik."

"So, uh, so what my mother said at dinner last night…"

"She jumped the gun a little," Sky said.

Erik nodded, "We have no idea where she came up with that."

"Sorry about that."

"It's all right," Sky assured him. "I can think of worse things to be said about us."

"No pressure, huh, Erik?" Tristan teased.

But Erik didn't respond, his attention was turned to the television set on the wall across from them, behind Cady and Tristan.

"What is it?" Cady asked, turning to look over her shoulder.

The television was tuned into a twenty-four hour news channel. The screen flashed images of Keith and Allura before switching to Vinn. A banner across the bottom of the screen read **Abuse Allegations**.

Erik stood and walked quickly over to the set to turn the volume up.

"…Vinn was the leader of the now defunct Bittor Coalition, his family had ties to the former Doom empire, once led by King Zarkon and then his son Lotor. Last year, Vinn, whose full name is Kabandha Vinnachara, attacked the planet Arus, hoping to gain control of Arus' famous protector, the robotic fighter, Voltron. After several battles, including one that left the Princess of Arus," (a picture of Cady appeared on the screen) "with a blaster injury, Vinn was captured by the Voltron Force, led by Commander Erik Johansson, when the Force freed members of the Polluxian royal family abducted by Vinn. In another small twist, the royal family members who were abducted were Princess Romelle, Prince Consort Sven, and Princess Delora Johansson, the parents and sister of Commander Johansson. Vinn's trial is due to start in ten days, the jury had been selected last month, seven men and five women. Now Vinn's lawyers have brought allegations of abuse to the table, claiming the Arusian royal family used excessive force when detaining him…"

"That's a lie!" Cady gasped.

Tristan laid a hand on her arm, "We know Cady, its just Vinn trying to find a way out of trouble."

"We are attempting to contact the Arusian royal family to speak with them concerning the allegations and the group of investigators being sent to Arus," the reporter continued. "We will have more as this story unfolds. We'll be right back after these messages with today's stock numbers…"

Erik turned the volume down and returned to their table, "I have to contact Keith, see if he knows what's going on."

Sky watched him walk back outside, "They can't possibly believe Vinn."

"They have to check out all the allegations," Tristan explained. "The Garrison will send some investigators to conduct some interviews and perform an inspection of where he was kept. Your parents did nothing wrong, I'm sure this will all be over very quickly."

"What did he have to say?" Cady asked when Erik came back.

"When we get back to the house, he wants us all to contact him so he can talk to us all together." Erik said.

"We can head back now," Tristan said, gathering the plates onto the tray. "We can get a cab and be back at the house in twenty minutes."

* * *

The four of them arrived back at the Alexander Estate in the late afternoon. Josie was out shopping with a friend and Tristan's father wouldn't be home from the office until seven o'clock. The only people in the house were the two maids and the butler.

"Come with me," Tristan said. "We can use my father's study, no one will bother us in there."

Cady dug her communicator out of her purse and flipped it open.

"You should clip that to your waistband or carry it in your pocket," Erik suggested. "Its easier to get to."

"I know, I know," she mumbled. "Now what do we do."

"Dial up the castle."

"Can we all do it at the same time?"

He rolled his eyes, "Geez, Cady, did you hear anything your father told you when he gave you this?"

"Yes," she replied haughtily. "I just never had to call in as part of a group, so don't pick on me. Jerk."

"Brat."

"Self-righteous creep."

"High maintenance diva."

"Children," Sky interrupted. "We have a call to make."

"You could at least try to defend my honor," Cady grumbled to Tristan.

"I thought you were doing a fine job on your own," he replied.

"I'm dialing in now," Sky announced. "If any of you would like to join me, feel free."

Tristan sat in the chair behind his father's large desk, Cady and Sky sat in the chairs opposite the desk while Erik leaned against the bookshelf behind Tristan.

"Castle Control, Arus," Hunk answered.

"Hi, Uncle Hunk, we're calling to talk to my father," Cady said.

Five seconds later, Hunk nodded, "Keith said you were going to call. Hold on a sec, I have to transfer you to his study. How's the vacation going?"

"Good, we're having a good time."

"Glad to hear that. Bring me back some Hershey's chocolate if you think of it."

"We will," she promised with a smile.

"Okay, have fun kids." Hunk punched a few buttons.

Their screens dipped to black and a few moments later Keith and Allura appeared.

"Hi, kids, how are you?" Allura asked.

"Just fine, Mom, how're things going there?"

"All right, considering."

"Do we know what's going on?" Erik asked.

"We were contacted by the Garrison earlier today," Keith explained. "They explained that allegations had been brought up against us, Vinn claiming that he had been mistreated by us as dictated by the Intergalactic Rules of War."

"What does he say happened?" Tristan asked.

"He claims we used excessive force when detaining him, that we held back food and water, and that the conditions in which he was held were not up to Garrison standards. His lawyers are trying to get a hold of Rossbin's attorneys in hopes of proving a pattern of mistreatment of prisoners."

"What are they hoping to achieve with these accusations?" Sky asked.

"Lesser sentences or even a mistrial."

"What's going to happen now?" Erik asked.

"Their sending investigators to check our facilities and question us and some of the guards."

"What do you need us to do?"

Keith smiled reassuringly, "You don't need to do anything right now, just have fun and keep your communicators on you. And I want to make sure that the three of you are carrying your weapons at all times."

"Yes, sir," Erik, Tristan, and Sky replied.

"We will contact you if we need to speak with you. Just keep alert as to what is going on around you and contact us immediately if you hear or see anything out of the ordinary."

"When are you planning to come to Terra?" Cady asked.

"Unless anything else comes up, we're planning to arrive in New York City next week."

"Sir," Tristan spoke up. "I just wanted to let you know that if you need any help at all, legally speaking, I'm sure my father and his law firm would be more than happy to help."

"Thank you, Tristan," Allura replied. "We really appreciate that."

"Yes, thank you, Tristan, but I am hoping it won't come to that. We did nothing wrong and they will know that after they finish their investigation." Keith added. "We don't want to put a damper on your trip. Don't worry about a thing, we'll take care of it all. Have fun."

"Just keep us updated, please," Cady requested.

"Of course we will," Allura assured them. "Have fun kids, and keep in touch."

The four of them snapped their communicators shut and sat in silence for a few moments.

"Well, it's not going to do us any good just sitting here," Sky said, standing. "Let's go get ready to go out."

* * *

Cady spent the better part of an hour digging through her clothes, trying to figure out what to wear. She wanted to look good for Tristan, but if Alexis was going to be there, then she wanted to look as good as was humanly possible.

"Cady, are you ready yet?" Sky asked, knocking on the door.

"I think so," Cady called back. She stood in front of the vanity, studying herself in the mirror.

Sky walked in and rolled her eyes at the sight of discarded clothes piled on the bed. "Glad to see you found something."

The Princess smoothed her hands over the pale pink sweater she wore with a dark gray, knee length skirt. "What do you think?"

"I think you're a little overdressed for a bar."

"Really?"

"Here, try these," Sky tossed a pair of black jeans to her friend.

"You think?"

"Yes."

"What about my hair? Up or down?"

"Who are you trying to impress?"

"No one."

"Cady."

"What if Alexis shows up?"

Sky nodded slowly, "I always liked your hair pulled back in a French braid."

"Could you help me out with that? Whenever I try to do that on my own it ends up crooked."

"Sure," Sky picked the brush up off the vanity. "Cady, you know you have nothing to worry about, right? Whatever Tristan and Alexis may have had before is over. He's in love with you."

"I know, I just…" Cady trailed off.

"You just want to make her jealous."

"Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, it makes you human."

"What would you do if you met one of Erik's ex-girlfriends?"

"Probably beat the crap out of her."

"Really?"

Sky chuckled, "No. I'm not worried about any of Erik's exes. He never really had a serious girlfriend other than me."

"They were engaged," Cady mumbled.

"But they aren't anymore and he's with you, so stop this."

"I can't help it."

"Then why are you going shopping with her?"

Cady shrugged, "I don't know, I just want to."

"I still think it's incredibly stupid of you."

"I know you do, but you are coming with us, right?"

Sky stopped halfway through the braid, "What?"

"I can't go alone and I can't take Tristan, so you're going to come, right?"

"Cady…"

"Please, Sky, you're my best friend, you have to come."

She went back to weaving Cady's blonde hair into a thick braid, chewing on her bottom lip as she considered what her friend was asking her. "I can't promise that I'll be able to behave myself and keep my mouth shut."

Cady stood and examined her hair in the mirror, "This really means a lot to me, Sky."

"All right, all right. I'll go, but if you do anything stupid, I don't know you."

"Thanks, Sky," Cady hugged her.

"Does Tristan know you're going shopping with her?"

"No."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Of course I will," Cady picked up her purse and jacket. "I'm not about to keep that from him."

"You going to tell him tonight?"

"If, uh, if it comes up."

"You girls ready yet?" Erik called, knocking on the door.

"Yeah, come in," Cady called back.

The door opened and the two guys walked in, looking ready for a night on the town. Tristan wore a pair of khakis and a black sweater, his coat draped over his arm. Erik followed him into the room wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dark red button down shirt beneath his black leather jacket.

"I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you," Sky teased. "You're looking pretty hot, I can't let some cheap floozy try to steal you away from me tonight at the bar."

"Oh, Sunny, you're the only cheap floozy for me," he assured her, slipping his arm around her shoulders.

"Hey! I like to think I'm more expensive than your average floozy."

Tristan took Cady's coat from her hands and held it up so she could slip it on, "You look beautiful, Cady."

"Thank you, Tristan, you look great."

"I just talked to Owen," he told her. "A couple of my other friends are going to be there, John and his girlfriend, Dory, and Ian and his wife. A few others might stop by if they have time."

"Good," she grinned at him. "I can't wait to meet your friends."

"Come on," Erik called to them. "I am starving."

* * *

O'Reilly's Pub was already crowded by the time they arrived. A couple of older gentleman, one completely bald and the other with a thick gray beard, sat on a small stage with a guitar and a fiddler playing Irish music. A thin haze of smoke and the smell of fried bar food swirled around them. Laughter and shouts surrounded them as they forced their way through the throng of people, past the bar and to the room in the back.

"Tristan! Over here!" Owen sat at a large, round table with a handful of other people. "I thought you could use one of these," he said, pointing to a tall mug filled with a thick, dark liquid.

"Oh, man, I have been craving a Guinness," Tristan said as he pulled out a chair for Cady. "One of the things I miss about being on Arus."

"You can't get Guinness on Arus? How can you stay there?" One of the other guys asked.

Tristan laid his hand on Cady's shoulder, "Believe me, there are other, better, reasons to stay there."

"Still the charmer, I see," the girl sitting next to Owen said.

Tristan winked at her, "As always. Everyone, this is Cady and Erik and Sky. Guys, that's John and his girlfriend Dory, Ian and Gina, and of course you know Owen."

"It's nice to meet you all," Cady said kindly. "And it's nice to see you again, Owen, how are you?"

"I'd be doing a lot better if you decided to dump that jerk and run off with me."

"Um, not tonight, sorry."

"My family has a house on the Cape," he offered.

She furrowed her brow, "The Cape?"

"Cape Cod," Tristan told her, sitting in the chair beside her. "And my family has a bigger house there, maybe, if you're good, I'll take you there."

"If I'm good?"

He leaned over and whispered, "You have to stop teasing me."

"That goes for you too," she whispered back.

"Hey now," Owen interrupted. "Leave that behavior for the bedroom."

Cady felt the heat rise to her face at his insinuation.

The conversation flowed easily as Cady, Erik and Sky got to know Tristan's friends. Like Owen, John was in law school and Dory was a third grade teacher. Ian worked in banking and was married to Gina who was a housewife and three months pregnant with their first child.

"So, Erik, Sky, what do you do?" John asked as a waitress delivered their meals.

"We're both pilots," Erik told him.

"What? You work for an airline?" Dory asked.

Sky shook her head, "No, I fly Red Lion and Erik flies Black Lion in the Voltron Force."

"Oh. So you're military."

"Yes." Sky felt her defenses start to rise.

"That must be terribly exciting," Gina said in a forced voice, obviously trying to keep the peace.

"You'll have to excuse John and Dory, they're pacifists," Owen explained. "They don't think a military is necessary."

"What about defense?" Sky asked.

"That's just an excuse for power hungry war mongers to lead innocent men and women to their deaths." Dory said. "Every problem can be solved if both sides just sit down together and discuss their issues."

"Are you serious?"

Erik laid a hand on Sky's knee beneath the table, "Let it go, Sky."

"You're lucky to not know what it's like to _need_ defense," Cady said softly.

There was a moment of silence before Dory spoke up again. "I have seen this man, Vinn, that Arus claims led an attack against them. How did that pathetic dough-boy lead an attack against what is considered the greatest military defense system, this Voltron?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Dory," Tristan said sharply.

"Oh come on, Tristan! He can barely hold his head up in court, how could he lead…"

"I was kidnapped the first time when I was six months old," Cady said, staring Dory directly in the eye. "Last summer I was shot and I was kidnapped again this past Christmas Eve. My mother had been kidnapped and abused in countless ways while the most evil, vile man tried to force her to marry him, so he could control Voltron and take over Arus. Erik's father was injured so badly he had to give up his career and he met Erik's mother after she had been tossed into a pit and left to die, the same way he had been months before. Sky's mother almost died when she was eight months pregnant with her. I could spend the rest of this evening telling you stories about my parents and their friends and that wouldn't even begin to scratch the surface of the evil they've faced. All by power hungry war mongers trying to get their hands on the greatest military defense system, Voltron. Arus has never, in all it's history, ever declared war or attacked anyone. Voltron has only served as a defender of Arus and her neighbors. Like I said, you're lucky to not know what it's like to need defense. It's so easy to sit all the way back here, in your big house on the hill, and pass judgment on something you know nothing about."

Sky grinned at her friend, proud of the Princess.

Tristan laid his hand on top of Cady's, squeezing gently. He had not meant for this to happen, his friends were good people, but he knew that Dory had a hidden agenda and he would have a word with her later.

Owen broke the heavy silence, "So, Tristan said you guys went on the Freedom Trail, what did you think of this fair city of ours."

"It's amazing," Erik replied, helping him steer the conversation. "The history here is just astounding."

"Are you planning to go to The Museum Of Fine Arts?" Gina asked. "They have the second largest art collection in the country."

"I would love to see that," Sky told her. "When we go to Chicago we always hit the Art Institute, I love Impressionism."

"Then you have to go. They have Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas."

The conversation was steered around their visit to Terra and what all they had to do and where they were going to go. Cady stayed quiet and poked at her Shepard's Pie, barely making a dent in it. She felt angry at Dory and a little insulted.

_Why would she say those things about Arus and Voltron?_ Cady thought. _She has no idea what she's talking about._

Tristan noticed Cady's silence and tried to reassure her with gentle touches to her hand or her shoulder, flashing her quiet smiles.

"If you'll excuse me," Cady stood. "I'm going to visit the little girl's room."

Sky set her fork down, "I think I'll go with you. I need to powder my nose."

"What the hell is your problem?" Tristan asked Dory as soon as Cady and Sky were out of earshot.

"I'm sorry, Tristan, but I won't change my beliefs because your new girlfriend believes in war," she said.

"No, Dory, you're causing trouble and I would appreciate it if you would stop it."

"I can't pretend to be something I'm not."

He narrowed his eyes, "Dammit, Dory, Alexis and I are through and we have been for a long time. I don't care if she is your best friend, all you are doing tonight is putting a strain on_ our_ friendship."

"Come on guys," Owen spoke up, trying to keep the peace. "Let's just forget the earlier conversation and start over when Sky and Cady get back, okay?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Erik agreed.

John elbowed his girlfriend in the side, "Let it go, hon."

"Fine," Dory shrugged. "Whatever."

"I mean it," Tristan warned, starting to regret this whole evening.

She sighed and set her fork down, "I know. I'm sorry, Tristan, I was out of line. I had no idea what she has gone through."

"Then I hope you learn to think before you speak."

"I said I was sorry, what more do you want?"

"I want you to apologize to Cady when she comes back."

"Fine."

Erik watched this exchange with interest. He had figured from the beginning that Dory had it out for Cady for some reason, he just hadn't known why. Now he realized that some of Tristan and Alexis' friends were not ready to accept his new girlfriend into their clique.

Cady and Sky returned to their seats, both looking a little more at ease. If anyone could bring Cady out of a funk, it was Sky.

Tristan cleared his throat.

Taking the hint, Dory smiled shyly at across the table. "Cady, I want to apologize for my earlier comments. I was out of line and insensitive. I hope you can forgive me."

Cady nodded and smiled sweetly, "Of course, Dory, no harm done."

"Good," Owen clapped his hands together. "Now we can all go back to be friends."

* * *

It was after ten when the group broke up and went their separate ways home. After Dory's apology, the entire atmosphere surrounding the table had changed. They all talked loudly over the sound of the growing crowd within the bar and laughed over some of the antics Tristan and Owen had shared when they were younger. And laughing even louder at the scowling expression on Cady's face when she had her first taste of Guinness. 

Erik and Tristan were waiting by the table while Sky and Cady returned to the ladies room one last time before heading home.

"Tristan, I don't know what happened between you and Alexis," Erik said when they were alone. "And it is none of my business, but I think, if you are going to introduce Cady to people like Dory, you should fill her in on what went on."

Tristan nodded and looked down at Cady's white coat that he held in his hands, "I know and I plan on it. Just let me do it my way."


	5. Games and Surprises

Hi all!  
Okay, someone mentioned in a review of my last story that all the kids I introduced has become a bit confusing. So here's your little cheatsheet of the Force and their offspring:

Keith & Allura - Cady, Declan, Gideon, Tess, Charlotte, and Nicky

Sven & Romelle -Erik and Delora

Lance & Darcy - Sky

Hunk & Patton - Casey, Mykel, and Natalia

Pidge & Becca -Luke, Tori, and Ben

Thank you all so much for the great reviews, I really appreciate them! You guys are awesome!

Enjoy!

Failte

* * *

"Come on, Nick! Run! Run!" Keith stood behind the seat cushion representing home plate, swinging his arm around like a windmill as his youngest pumped his legs and ran toward him. "Come on! You can do it! Almost there!" 

Nicky ran as hard as he could before diving to the ground and sliding on his stomach into the cushion.

"Good job, son!" Keith laughed as he took his hands and hauled the boy to his feet.

The first warm day of spring on Arus always brought the gang out for a game of baseball in the meadow behind the castle. This year, Keith was managing his team of Declan, Gideon, Nicky, Charlotte, Lynnai, and Hunk's oldest son, Casey. They were playing against Lance's team made up of Pidge, his son Luke and his daughter Tori, Hunk's youngest son Mykel, Brina, and Darcy. Hunk was standing in as umpire.

Allura, Nanny, and Becca sat in chairs beside the makeshift diamond watching the game. Tess sat beside them cradling Becca and Pidge's one month old son, Ben, while Hunk's daughter, Natalia sat beside her.

"Ach," Nanny grumbled. "Look at how dirty the young Prince is now. It is such a hassle to get him in the bathtub at night."

"Oh, Nanny," Allura laughed. "He's a little boy having fun."

"Strike!" Hunk yelled as Casey swung and missed. "You'll get him next time, son."

"Take the field, guys!" Keith shouted

Declan flexed his muscles as he passed Pidge, "You're going down, Sir!"

"Yeah right!" Pidge snorted. "The score is tied now, this is _our_ inning to take _you_ down!"

"Yea Daddy!" Tori shouted as she jumped up and down, clapping her hands. "Let's kick dere butts!"

Pidge looked at his daughter with surprise, "What did you just say?"

"Let's kick dere butts!" She grinned.

"That's it," he swept the little girl up in his arms. "You're not allowed to hang out with the twins anymore."

"Hey!" Gideon shouted from the pitcher's mound. "We are not the only bad influences in the castle, have you met Uncle Lance?"

"Let's get on with the game folks," Lance called. "Brina, you're up."

The pretty redhead took to home base and accepted the bat Lance held out. She made a show of tapping the inside of both feet with the bat and taking a few practice swings.

"Hey batta batta batta!" Declan called from his place at second base. "Swing batta batta batta!"

Brina pointed at him with her bat and took her stance.

Gideon threw the ball a little wide and Brina stopped herself from swinging.

"Ball one!" Hunk called.

"Good eye!" Lance clapped. "Good eye!"

"We want a batter not a broken ladder!" Nicky shouted from the outfield.

Gripping the bat tightly, Brina prepared for the next pitch. It was a perfect curve over the plate. She swung and the bat connected with the ball in a resounding _crack_, sending it over Declan's head toward Lynnai.

Cheers and clapping followed Brina as she threw the bat aside and raced toward first base. She rounded it just as Lynnai threw the ball to Declan. He clutched the ball in one hand and stood, feet akimbo, blocking his base. Brina saw this, but she refused to return to first. Putting on an extra burst of speed, she ignored Lance's calls to turn back, and ran full force into her boyfriend.

Declan stood his ground and she bounced off his chest.

He grinned down at her, "You're out."

"The ball never touched me," she replied, quickly crawling around him and grabbing the old throw pillow that stood in as second base.

"She's right!" Darcy yelled. "The hand holding the ball did not come in contact with her and you never touched the base!"

"I was holding the ball when she hit me!" Declan argued.

"You have to touch the base or touch her with the ball or the hand holding the ball!" Pidge called back.

"She's out!" Hunk shouted.

"Waddya mean she's out!" Lance yelled, charging over to where Hunk stood.

"_I mean_, she's out!" The bigger man replied.

"She was clearly in!"

"She was clearly out!"

"The ball never came in contact with her!"

"He was holding the ball! She's out!"

"In!"

"Out!"

Lance kicked dirt on Hunk's feet, "In!"

"Do that again and _you're_ out!"

"All right! All right!" Keith interrupted. "That's enough guys, let's get back to the game. Lance, we agreed to have Hunk umpire and that we would go with whatever he said. Brina's out."

"If I'd have known he was blind, I wouldn't have agreed to anything," Lance grumbled as he stomped off.

Keith stepped out of the way as Mykel picked up the bat and Brina jogged back to join her team. He watched as Gideon tossed the ball and Mykel sent it toward third base. His communicator sounded as Luke went up to bat.

"Whitaker."

"Commander." Private Util was on duty in Castle Control. "I'm sorry to bother you sir."

"That's all right Private, what is it?"

"We just received a message, sir, concerning the Garrison investigators."

"Okay, we'll be right in," Keith snapped his communicator shut and yelled, "Time out! I need to talk to my team!"

They all jogged over to where he stood. "What's up, Dad?" Declan asked.

"I have to go in and take care of something, so I'm leaving Lynnai in charge."

"What?" Declan gasped. "You're choosing her over your own son?"

"Yes. I know I can trust Lynnai. Get back out there and win this game, I'll be back out as soon as I can." Keith turned and walked over to where Allura was sitting. "We just received a message from the Garrison about the investigation."

She nodded and stood. Almost out of reflex, Keith took her hand in his as they made their way up to the castle. His fingers curled around hers, squeezing gently. Allura smiled at him, knowing that no matter what happened, she had him and together they could handle anything.

"What is it, Private?" Keith asked as they entered Castle Control.

The young man handed him a printout, "This was what was sent, sir."

Allura leaned in to read it over Keith's shoulder. "So we can expect them tomorrow afternoon?"

"Looks that way, three of them are coming."

"I don't recognize any of this names."

"Neither do I," he folded the paper in half. "We'll have to make sure Paton is free to meet with them and have three rooms set up for them."

"I'll have Nanny get the maids working on that today," she told him as they walked from the room. "Do you think we should have had an attorney brought in?"

"We didn't do anything wrong, honey, he has nothing on us."

"I know, I just can't help but worry."

Keith smiled at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, "We did nothing wrong, the investigators will see that and clear us and next week we'll go to Terra and makes sure he is put away for a long, long time."

"Sweetie, how do you think Tristan is fitting in?" She asked, changing the subject.

"He is a fine pilot and he has a good head on his shoulders."

"He and Cady have gotten rather close."

"Mm hm," Keith kept his mouth tightly closed.

"I'm thinking that it won't be long before he comes to you for permission."

He glanced at her as they crossed the yard to the baseball diamond, "Let's not hurry things, they've only been together a few months."

Allura grinned at him, "How long did you know me before you wanted to marry me?"

"That's different, we were older."

"I believe I was younger than Cady is now when we met."

"If he wants to marry her, he has to go through the same crap I had to go through to marry you."

"_Crap?_" She gasped.

"Come on, Allura, of all the hours of studying I had to do, name one thing I learned that I have actually used."

"Knowing the history of Arus has helped in your role as Prince Consort."

"It was just Nanny and Koran's way of testing how far I would go to be with you."

"And you passed that test with flying colors," Allura stood on her toes and kissed him.

"Then we'll have to come up with some fun tests for Tristan," he promised, leaving her at the seat she had vacated earlier before running over to the sidelines. "Come on Hunk! I could see from here that he was safe!"

………………………………………………………………………..

Tristan and Erik sat in the den watching some show on the television, neither of them really paying attention.

Cady had promised that she and Sky would be home before dinner, they were just going to go shopping. That hadn't bothered Tristan. What had bothered him was the fact that she had added, nonchalantly, that Alexis would join them. He had tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't hear of it. She had promised to go shopping with Alexis and it was important to keep a promise. He hoped that Sky would be able to keep Cady out of trouble.

"Stop worrying, man, what could possibly happen?" Erik asked as Tristan flipped angrily through a magazine.

He slapped the magazine on the coffee table, "I don't know."

"Are you going to tell me what happened with Alexis?"

Tristan sighed heavily and stared at the television for a moment, not noticing what was on the screen. "We dated for four years."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah it is," he stood and paced the floor. "Everyone thought we were going to get married, hell, _we_ thought we were going to get married."

"What happened?" Erik asked quietly.

Tristan ran his hand through his dark hair and hesitated, as though he was trying to think how to answer. "Alexis is a great girl, we had been together so long that we had become comfortable with each other, but I'm not sure if we were really in love. I mean, everyone expected us to be together, so we were. We attended parties together, went out Friday nights, and hung out with the same group of friends. But, I knew something wasn't right. I felt like I was stuck, we weren't really moving forward and when I looked to the future, I saw a life like my parents have and I didn't want that. A recruiter for the Garrison came to our school my senior year and gave a talk. Something about what he said really stuck with me. I researched it and gave it a lot of thought and finally told my family and friends that I was going to join the Garrison and train to become a pilot rather than go into pre-law."

"I take it that didn't go over to well?"

He shook his head, "My mother was furious, I got the 'You're an adult and you need to start acting like one' lecture from my father. They both realized I was serious, so they finally caved, assuming I would go to the Garrison, get whatever it was out of my system and then return home to pursue a career in law, like my father did and his father before him and his father before him and so on. To this day they are still hoping I will hang up my uniform and come back to the practice."

Erik kept his mouth shut and watched as his friend stopped in front of the mantle and straightened a picture frame.

"I realized I had really found what I was meant to do. I came home on leave and took Alexis out. I told her how happy I was and how I had found what I was meant to do. Needless to say, she wasn't happy. We had a long talk and we both decided it would be best if we stopped pretending. I was upset, but I wasn't devastated. The next time I came home, I found out she had told everyone that I had proposed to her and she had turned me down, saying she wanted to wait until after she finished school and after I got this pilot thing out of my system. I realized I didn't care, so I let her tell everyone whatever she wanted to. Owen was the only one who really believed me and the only one I cared about. So, most of our friends from high school think I was devastated by our breakup and never came back from the Garrison. They think I wasn't fair to her, Dory is Alexis' best friend and she is convinced I deserted Alexis when I joined the Garrison."

"And now she's trying to get you back?" Erik asked.

Tristan shrugged, "I don't know. She said she changed, but, well, I mean, I have Cady now. Alexis is my past, Cady is my future."

Erik grinned, "Now you just have to tell Cady that."

"What do you mean?"

"She's a wreck about this whole Alexis thing," Erik explained. "You have to understand that Cady is not very experienced with dating, she has led a very sheltered life, especially when compared to the life you have led. She saw Alexis, and let's be honest here, Alexis is gorgeous, and she became jealous. She feels she's in competition with Alexis."

"That's just stupid," Tristan muttered.

"Yes it is, but Cady is feeling rather intimidated."

"And Dory didn't help the other night, did she?"

"Not really," Erik agreed. "She doesn't feel she fits in with your friends."

"Why is Cady telling you all this and not me?"

"She isn't telling me, she's telling Sky. And, well, I've known Cady a lot longer than you have and I know her pretty well."

"What should I do?"

"Be honest with her, tell her what you told me, especially about her being your future."

Tristan swallowed hard, not sure if he was ready to tell Cady that just yet.

They both heard a car pull up out front and doors opening and shutting.

"Sounds like they're back," Erik said, getting to his feet. "They said they'd be back before dinner and they just made it."

The two of them reached the foyer just as the front door opened and Sky walked in, at least eight shopping bags in her hands.

"Geez, Sunny, how much did you buy?" Erik asked, taking a few bags from her.

"Those two are mine, the rest are Cady's," she sighed, turning to look at Tristan. "I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen to me."

"I figured she would be buying a lot, we're going to be taking a cargo ship back to Arus," he teased with a smile.

"I'm not talking about the stuff she bought."

He furrowed his brow in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You'll have to see it for yourself," she grumbled, stepping aside.

Tristan went to open the door further, but stopped when Cady appeared in the doorway. His mouth fell open in disbelief as his eyes roamed her from the top of her head to her feet and back up again.

Cady twirled in front of him and asked, nervously, "Well? What do you think?"

Erik let out a low whistle, "You, uh, you look nice, uh Cady. Come on, Sky, let's, uh, let's take this stuff upstairs."

"Tristan?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly as her friends disappeared upstairs.

He started at her feet again, at the black shoes with two inch heels, up her shapely legs to the straight black skirt that stopped just above her knees to the black jacket buttoned up to the deep v-neck that showed a hint of cleavage, past her made up face to her hair. Her beautiful, thick curly blonde hair that had once tumbled past her shoulders and down her back was now cut in a sharp, smooth, straight bob that barely touched her shoulders.

Cady held her arms out at her sides, "What do you think?"


	6. Explanations

Hi all!  
Wow, well, I guess the last chapter raised a few eyebrows. I wasn't going to post this one so quickly, but after those great reviews, I decided to. But, I don't think this chapter is going to go the way some of you think it will.

Anony - Thanks for the great review and don't apologize. First of all, I know about posting long after my bedtime. I do it regularly, which explains the stupid little mistakes you sometimes see in my stories. But I am not at all upset about your mistake, I take it as a compliment that you mistook me for RL2 :-)

Queen Merla - If only I could draw...

C-Town Chica, RL2, MustangAce, Lillehafrue, AnimeLoverVS- Thank you so much for your awesome reviews, they really do make my day and motivate me. Now, I can't really answer your questions, I can just ask you to hang tight and stick with the story :-)

Thank you all so much!

**WARNING! This turned into a very fluffy, R rated chapter...so reader beware!**

Enjoy!

Failte

* * *

Tristan stared at Cady with his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He was more than a little annoyed that she went out shopping with Alexis and returned home a totally different person, almost a clone of his former girlfriend. Keeping in mind what Erik had just told him, he knew he had to tread carefully. 

"You look nice," he said, knowing he sounded a little forced.

Chewing on her bottom lip, her cheeks darkened as she bent to pick up the bags Sky had brought in, "You, uh, you don't like it?"

Tristan caught her arm before she could go upstairs, "Cady, you are beautiful, no matter what you do, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known."

She looked up at him, her eyes wet, "Then what's wrong?"

"Why did you do it?" He asked softly.

"I…I wanted to do something special for you. I thought…"

"Cady, darling, you look wonderful!" Josie exclaimed as she swept in from the hallway. "I just love what you've done with your hair! You look older, but be careful, dear, in a few years you're going to want to start looking younger. Now you kids have fun tonight, your father and I are meeting the Thackerys for dinner. Good bye." She kissed them each on the cheek and left, pulling the door shut behind her.

The two of them stood awkwardly, Cady looking up the stairs while Tristan stared at the door his mother had just closed.

She cleared her throat, "I'm…I'm going to go put my stuff away."

"Here," he took the bags from her hands. "Let me."

"Tristan."

"Come with me, Cady, we need to talk," he led her up the stairs but turned right instead of left.

Wordlessly, she followed, feeling foolish and embarrassed.

Tristan was trying to figure out how to handle this situation. He was feeling frustrated and more than a little pissed off, but this wasn't about him. This was about Cady. How could he get through to her? How could he make her understand that Alexis didn't mean anything to him anymore? Out of habit, he walked to his room and set the bags on the floor beside his desk. Not really knowing what he was going to say, or do, he walked around Cady and shut the door.

Cady stood beside the door, twisting her hands nervously as she looked around Tristan's room. It was a huge bedroom. When he had first brought her here earlier in the week on a tour, he had explained that his parents had left it much as it had been when he left after high school. The double bed was covered with a beige plaid comforter with matching curtains hanging on the windows. Two large bookshelves weighed down with books and a stereo system surrounded his desk which held a large computer system. A television set and video game system sat on a stand beside his dresser. On the wall to the right were two doors, one led to a large walk in closet and the other to his private bathroom.

Tristan watched her as her eyes swept around his room, taking it all in and avoiding him. "Cady?"

She looked up at him sheepishly, "Yes?"

"Honey, what happened today?"

"Well, Sky and I met Alexis and her friend and we went shopping. Alexis decided I needed a Terran makeover and so I went for it."

"You didn't need to be made-over."

She smiled softly, "You're so sweet. But I wanted to do something different."

"I guess, if it makes you feel better, then that's what important."

"You don't like it?"

"Cady, you could shave your head and paint it orange and I would still find you beautiful. I just…well, you had your own beauty, now you look like all the others."

"I thought you would like that."

"Why?"

"Because…I thought you would."

"I liked you the way you were."

She threw her arms in the air, "Fine! I'm sorry! I screwed up! I tried to do something nice for you. Alexis said that…"

"That's where you screwed up," Tristan interrupted. "Listening to Alexis."

"But she told me…"

"I don't care what she said. You're smarter than that, Cady, I don't know why you even went shopping with Alexis. If I had my way, you two wouldn't have even met."

"Why?" She exploded. "Do I embarrass you? The unsophisticated, back woods girl! I just don't fit in with your friends. Why did you even bring me here?"

"Because I love you," he said simply. "You are the most beautiful, classy, intelligent woman I know. And I wouldn't exactly call Alexis my friend."

"She said you were old friends."

"She's delusional."

"What's going on, Tristan?"

He paced the floor a few moments before stopping in front of her again. "Okay, as you know, Alexis and I used to date, but I am going to assume you don't know the whole story. She and I dated for four years. The first year I was in awe that Alexis Wellington was dating me, by the second year we were convinced we were madly in love and had planned to get married some day. By the third year we had fallen into a routine of just being together. We were together more because everyone expected it of us than because we wanted to be together, at least on my side."

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

"I heard a Garrison recruiter speak and something told me that was what I needed to do. It was like a light went off in my head and I knew what I was meant to do. I…"

"You what?"

Tristan ran his hands through his hair, looking conflicted. He took both her hands in his and raised his gaze to hers, "At the time I thought I was crazy, Cady. Then…then I went to Arus and I knew it was where I belonged. I had…I had received a calling, of sorts. It was like this voice in the back of my head telling me I had to go. I had dreams that are only now making sense. But it was just always assumed that I would go into law like everyone else in my family to the point to where I thought that was the only option for me. But the pull towards the Garrison and being a pilot was too much. So I researched it and the more I learned, the more I wanted to do it, I _needed_ to do it. So, against my parent's wishes, I signed up and joined the Garrison. I knew from the start it was where I was meant to be. I came home after basic and took Alexis out. We both knew it was over, it wasn't worth wasting our time pretending otherwise. Our breakup was mutual, but to save face she told everyone she turned down my proposal. It made her feel better and I really didn't care what others thought."

"Weren't you upset?"

He shrugged, "I knew it was coming, I knew we didn't have a future together. I had hoped we could remain friends, but we just drifted apart. I threw myself into my work and made my way up to First Lieutenant quickly and found that flying was the best thing to ever happen to me. When the assignment in Arus came up, that same voice that told me to join the Garrison told me to try and get in on that assignment. I thought I was nuts and I never told anyone about 'the callings', as I called them. I just went with my instinct. I now think I was being called to Arus from the beginning. I never believed in magic before, but when I came to Arus and learned about all the magic there, I knew I was where I was meant to be. With you. I love you, Cady, I see a future with you, on Arus. What Alexis and I had was a childhood romance, what you and I have is real. I am so sorry if you have felt left out or embarrassed, that was never my intention. I am proud of you and all that you do. I brought you here to show you off, to let everyone know that I have truly found where I want to be in my life."

Cady studied him, trying to read the emotion in his eyes, they were dark and intense. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Feeling relieved, Tristan pulled her close and laid his cheek on top of her head. Her silky, soft hair felt almost straw-like. He lifted his head and whispered, "What did I ever do or say that made you doubt what I felt for you?"

She didn't move or speak.

"Cady," he tilted her chin up, surprised to see her red face and tear filled eyes. "What is it?"

"Nothing, I just…it was stupid. Nothing, really."

"Cady, I wish you would tell me. I don't ever want you to feel this way again. What is it?"

"Well," she stared at his chest, unable to meet his eyes. "I just thought, I mean, after New Years and…well, I mean, I've heard the way boys think and…well, Sky said that she and Erik, and…oh, geez."

"Cady."

"Why haven't you tried to, you know, have…make…make love to me?"

Tristan just about fell backwards when he heard her question. The shock struck him dumb for a moment, unable to answer.

Utterly humiliated, Cady turned away from him and bent to pick up her bags, hoping to make a quick break for it.

He grabbed her hand and turned her to face him, "You thought I didn't want to make love to you?"

She stared at her shoes, concentrating on how the pointed toes pinched her feet.

"Cady, I wanted you from the moment I saw you, when you stormed into Castle Control looking for your father. But I didn't want to force you or make you feel forced. I wanted to do it on your terms, let you decide when we…took that step. God, Cady, if you want to, I will start now and make love to you every day for the rest of our lives."

"But New Years…"

"I thought I had frightened you. I didn't want to push you. I was more afraid of upsetting you than anything else."

Biting her lip, she looked up at him, feeling foolish and very inexperienced. She stepped closer, "You can't upset me."

"Cady…"

"You just said that if I wanted to, you would start now."

Tristan raised his eyebrows in surprise. He was torn between being afraid she was still trying to prove something she didn't need to prove and his wanting to throw her onto the bed. He fisted his hands at his sides and watched as she stepped even closer, "Cady…"

"If…if you don't like my outfit, you can just take it off," she whispered, hoping she sounded sexy, but worried that she sounded like an idiot.

Licking his lips, he brought his hand up to touch her hair, "What happened to your curls?"

"They put a relaxer on my hair."

"Will they come back?"

"When I wash my hair."

A grin spread across his face as an idea struck. He took her hands and pulled her to the door behind him. "Well then, let's take care of that."

Her heart racing, Cady allowed him to lead her into his bathroom.

The size of his bathroom rivaled his bedroom. A glass shower stall was in the corner, big enough for three people to stand in, with a built in bench. A huge bay window of frosted glass dominated the wall opposite them and beneath that was a large whirlpool tub. To the right was a counter with a built-in sink and a narrow door.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Originally, my bathroom was smaller," Tristan explained as he turned the taps on the bathtub. "When I was injured in high school they had the tub installed and the shower built with a bench."

"What injury?"

He turned back to her, "I never told you about that?"

She shook her head.

"I played football for years, starting in the pee-wee league through my junior year of high school. We made it to the state championships that year when I was hurt, twisted my knee. I was out of commission for about a month and I had trouble standing for long periods of time, so they built the shower with the bench and installed the tub."

"There is still so much I don't know about you," she said as he crossed the room to her. "The Garrison accepted you after that injury?"

He shrugged, "They operated and I underwent physical therapy, I'm as good as new. I can run a three minute mile, less on a good day."

"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow. "What else can you do?"

"I can show you."

Cady laid her hands on his chest as she stood on her toes and kissed him. Tristan gripped her small waist in his hands, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. Her hands slid down his stomach to grip the hem of his heavy, Irish knit sweater. They separated long enough for them to pull it up over his head and she tossed it aside. His hands roamed her back as he captured her lips in another passionate, drawn out kiss. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, finally giving up and tugging it apart, popping three buttons.

They broke apart, Cady giggling as the buttons bounced on the tile floor.

"Impatient, are we?" He asked.

"Um, I didn't mean to, it was an accident. I'll…"

"Don't worry about it," he whispered, silencing her with a kiss. "I never liked that shirt any way."

She giggled nervously, her eyes wandering over his bare chest. Nerves and excitement fought within her as she tried to figure out the next step.

Tristan slid his hands down her arms and took her hands in his, "Are you sure about this?"

Cady nodded.

"If…if you want to stop at any time, just say so and we can."

Cady pulled her hands from his and slid his shirt off his shoulders, letting her hands caress his chest. "I don't want to stop."

Tristan unbuttoned the three large buttons on the front of her jacket, slowly exposing more of her flesh. He noticed how her skin turned an appealing pink as she fought the urge to cover herself. His fingers skimmed over the cool, smooth flesh of her shoulders as he slipped the jacket off. His eyes widened at the sight of the black, lace trimmed bra she wore.

It took every ounce of self-control for Cady to stop herself from grabbing the jacket and putting back on. She wanted to be with him, desperately, but was nervous about letting him see her. Curiosity overtook embarrassment and she raised her eyes to his, seeing the emotion and desire as he drank her in.

"You, uh, you like this part of the makeover, huh?" She teased quietly.

He nodded, "Yes, I do. I really do."

Throwing caution to the wind, Cady reached behind her and slid down the zipper on her skirt and let it slide down to the floor, revealing the matching panties.

Tristan sucked in a sharp breath, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."

She blushed under his scrutiny, but felt pleased at his reaction. A small part of her had been terrified that he would be disappointed in her.

"Come," he took her hands and led her over to the tub, which was half full of warm water. He sat her on the edge of the tub and knelt down to pull her shoes off, unceremoniously tossing them over his shoulders.

She laughed as he stood again, taking her hands and pulling her too her feet.

"You don't want to get that lovely ensemble wet, now do you?" He whispered, huskily.

Cady leaned in and kissed him gently before pulling back and reaching behind her back to unclip the bra. She turned away from him as she slipped it off, laying it on the wide windowsill of the bay window beside a pile of folded towels. Biting her lip, she quickly slipped off the panties, hearing him take a shaky breath behind her. She placed them beside the bra and slid into the warm, relaxing water.

Tristan knelt beside the tub, stroking her cheek as he turned her to face him and gently caressing her lips with his own.

"Aren't you going to join me?" She asked when they broke apart. "There is plenty of room."

"Not yet," he replied, getting to his feet.

Cady leaned back and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the water as it surrounded her. She listened as he turned off the faucet and then crossed the room. He came back a moment later.

"Cady?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him, "I love you, too."

"And what I'm about to do, I do because I love you."

"What?"

"Take a breath."

"What?" She repeated, confused.

Without another word, he placed his hand on the top of her head and shoved her under the water, soaking her hair.

She came back up, sputtering and gasping, "What the hell was that?"

Tristan ducked his head, laughing.

"That was not funny!"

"I know," he laughed. "But, well, I had to do it."

She grabbed his hand, catching him off-guard as she tugged sharply and he fell into the tub with her. Water splashed over the sides, flooding the floor as he landed on top of her, still wearing his jeans and loafers.

"Dammit, Cady, do you have any idea what happens when your jeans get wet?" He asked, trying to sit up.

"They get really heavy," she replied innocently.

"And tight," he muttered, trying to adjust himself.

She framed his face with her hands and kissed his wet lips, "Then I guess you better lose them."

Tristan grabbed the edge of the tub and hauled himself out. Cady bit her lip nervously as he stepped behind her and she heard the zipper of his jeans being drawn down.

"Move up," he whispered behind her.

She slid forward in the tub and felt the water slosh as he slid in behind her. Cady started to move back, but stopped when she felt his hand on her back.

"Not yet," he said, picking up the bottle of shampoo he had retrieved from the shower stall. "We have something to take care of first."

Cady closed her eyes as he pored the shampoo over her hair. Every nerve in her body was on fire and she felt herself trembling slightly as he massaged it into her scalp and into her hair. She swallowed hard as desire swept through her.

"Lean back," he breathed, caressing her neck with his breath.

Her eyes closed, Cady leaned back, giving into every sensation she was feeling as he rinsed her hair in the water. She surrendered completely to his touch, even though his fingers never went further than her neck, she felt him throughout her body.

"Sit up."

Slowly, she raised her head, feeling the weight of her wet hair. She opened her eyes to see the sudsy water surrounding them.

"Come here." He pulled her against him, her back against his chest and her head on his shoulder.

"Tristan?"

"Hm?"

"You said you had dreams that only now made sense. What did you mean?"

He gently stroked her arms, "I would dream at night of a huge metallic castle, which I now know is the Castle of Lions. I saw Arus and…"

"And what?" Cady whispered.

"I saw this man. I tall man with a beard and a deep voice. His was the voice I had heard all along."

"Grandfather Alfor."

"Yes."

Cady closed her eyes. She had heard her parents' stories, she knew that her grandfather was looking out for all of them but she never knew he had had a part in bringing her and Tristan together. "Why didn't you ever tell me this before?"

"I wasn't sure how to tell you. It…it sounded kind of far-fetched."

"But you'll tell me everything from now on, right? You'll be honest with me?"

"Of course. As long as you do the same."

"You really didn't like the straight hair, did you?" She asked quietly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It wasn't you," he replied.

"Maybe I really liked it."

"Did you?"

She shrugged, "I wasn't quite used to it yet."

"Why did you get it cut?"

"I thought you would like it."

"If you like it, then I like it. I was just afraid that that you had done it for the wrong reasons."

"And they would be?"

"Because you listened to someone you shouldn't have listened to."

Cady didn't respond.

He pressed his lips to her neck, just below her ear. "Do you really like it?"

"It…it made me feel more sophisticated."

"Really? I always thought you looked sophisticated, classy."

"My long hair didn't make me look young?"

"I never thought so. But if you like it, then I like it. Just promise me that every so often you will not use the stuff in your hair that straightens it."

"You really like my curls?"

Tristan touched her wet hair that was starting to curl as it dried, "Yes I do. And I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. You really are beautiful no matter what you wear or how you do your hair."

"Don't apologize," she tilted her head back to look at him. "I want you always be honest with me. Let's not play those games."

"I will always be honest with you, I just don't ever want to hurt your feelings."

"Don't worry, if you ever hurt my feelings, you'll know."

He felt her shiver, "Are you cold?"

"A little, yeah."

"Sit up." Tristan slid out from behind her and stood, grabbing a towel off the windowsill and wrapping it around his waist.

Cady pushed down the lever that drained the water and took the hand Tristan offered her. He had picked up a large towel and slowly wrapped it around her, enjoying the view as he did.

"I'm still cold," she muttered, grabbing the edge of the towel and securing it around her.

"I have just what you need," he said, rubbing another towel over his chest. "Hold on a sec."

Cady grabbed another towel and rubbed it over her hair as he walked over to a narrow door beside the sink. She looked up and smiled as she saw his strong muscular back and the towel that hung low on hips. Her eyes swept up and down his body, her imagination wandering about what was beneath the towel when something else caught her attention. The towel she had been using to dry her hair slipped from her fingers and landed with a plop in one of the puddles they had made.

Two thin scars crossed his back, one diagonally from his waist to his left shoulder and the other straight across his shoulders. The remnants of when he rescued her on Christmas Eve. He had been whipped twice while protecting her from the man who had kidnapped her.

Tears blurred her vision as she was overcome with love for him and shame over her behavior. Of course he loved her, not only had he told her time and time again, he had also shown her in so many ways. How could she allow Alexis to talk her into the stupid makeover?

Tristan turned around with two bathrobes in his hands, an old brown on, worn thin in spots, and a thick green one. "You can have the green one, it's warmer and…what is it? What's wrong?" He saw her tears and rushed back to her side.

Cady threw her arms around him, pressing her lips to his as tears spilled down her cheeks.

He pulled back and looked down at her, wrapping the warm, green robe around her shoulders. "Tell me what's wrong, Cady."

"Nothing," she whispered, slipping her arms into the huge sleeves. The robe was so big on her it brushed the floor and her hands were lost in the sleeves.

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because I'm sorry. I love you, Tristan, and I am sorry for ever doubting you."

"Good, don't ever do it again," he said, cupping her cheek with his hand.

Cady smiled shyly at him and stepped away. She wrapped her arms around herself, completely enveloping herself in the robe and walked across the bathroom, hesitating in the doorway, she glanced over her shoulder at him before disappearing into his bedroom.

Tristan hesitated a moment. Was she doing what he really thought she was doing? He dropped his robe and all but ran across the room, sliding a few times in puddles. When he reached the doorway, he first saw the robe in a heap on the floor, followed by the towel. Cady was curled up under his comforter. Seeing her there and knowing that the only thing that separated him from the one thing he desired most in the world was the comforter he had had since he was sixteen was enough to make him fall to his knees.

One delicate hand came up from beneath the blankets and beckoned him closer.

His towel joined hers on the floor as he accepted her invitation.

* * *

"I cannot believe that bitch," Sky muttered as she set her shopping bags on her bed. 

"What didja get?" Erik asked, poking in her bags. "Anything for me?"

"Maybe."

He looked up at her, "So, what happened?"

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened. That…that bitch…"

"You're talking about Alexis right?"

"Yes, I'm talking about…her!" Sky threw her arms in the air with a groan of frustration. "I'm so angry I can't even say her name!"

Erik knew something good was coming, so he pushed the bags aside and stretched out on her bed. "So, what happened?"

"Okay, so we meet _her_ and her friend, Julie at this clothing store," Sky started, pacing the floor and poking at the air with her hands. "And she starts acting all sweet, but you know it's fake. She totally ignores me and then makes these condescending remarks to Cady. Well, Cady, being the sweet, naïve person that she is, continued to smile and put up with it. Well, the bitch was saying things like '_Oh, Cady, what a sweet sweater, I had one just like that when I fourteen'_ and _'Cady, I just love how you haven't allowed your age to dictate your hairstyle.'_. And Cady, just pretended she didn't hear it, but she wouldn't let me say anything. Then the bitch and her friend decided that Cady needed a makeover, I told her she didn't, but they convinced her it would be fun. What do I know? I've just been her best friend for nineteen years! Did you see her hair? This is Cady's hair, she loved her long hair, she never liked getting it cut."

"Maybe she was ready for a change," Erik suggested weakly.

"A change? Maybe. But a cloning? I don't think so. Oh, but it gets better."

"Do tell."

She scowled at him as she continued to pace the floor, "We were doing some clothing shopping and ended up in a lingerie store."

"Oh? Did you get anything?"

"Maybe, but if you keep interrupting, you'll never get to see it. So, we're looking at lingerie and, of course, the topic turns to sex. As you may or may not know, Cady and Tristan have not slept together yet. But apparently, Tristan and Alexis did."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, uh oh. That bitch felt the need to talk about it. A lot. Now, Cady is already sensitive about that because he hasn't made any move on her since New Years and she thinks he doesn't want to sleep with her. So she hears about how he had sex with the bitch and that only makes Cady feel worse. She ends up buying into all this crap the bitch is feeding her and, well, you saw the end result. That…that _bitch_ is such a manipulative…bitch!"

"Do you realize that you have used the word 'bitch' more in the last two minutes than I have ever heard you say it in your life?"

"Erik," she sighed.

"Sunny, this is between Tristan and Cady, they need to work this out on their own. And hair grows back."

"But that…that," she fumbled for another way to describe Alexis. "That wench is trying her hardest to come between the two of them."

"But she won't."

"She's persistent."

"Come here, Sky." Erik held his hand out to her.

She settled in beside him, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder.

"Tristan filled me in on what happened between him and Alexis." Erik went on to tell her everything Tristan had told him earlier.

"It was a mutual breakup?" Sky asked when he finished.

"That's what he said."

"If it was, then why is she causing all this trouble now?"

"I don't know, he doesn't know. But I can guarantee to you that he loves Cady, very much. If I had thought otherwise, if I thought for one second that he was using Cady in some way or about to hurt her, you and I would be out back digging a shallow grave."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, "Can I beat up the wench?"

"Only if you do it in bikinis in a large vat of Jell-o."

Sky punched him hard in the arm.

"Ow! Okay, geez, I was kidding." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "So, did you get anything in the lingerie store?"

"You'll just have to wait and see."

He tugged at the collar of her sweater, trying to peer down it.

Gasping, Sky smacked his hand away. "Not funny."

"Not trying to be funny," he said innocently. "Trying to be cute."

"You were neither."

"I love you," he whispered, nuzzling her neck.

"I know," she pulled out of his arm and crawled to the foot of the bed. "Let's see what I bought."

Erik sat up straight, "Yes, lets."

Sky pulled the large brown bag over and reached inside, "I got a doll for Tori, she's going to love it. See, she's dressed like a nurse from the Revolutionary War. And I got a book for Luke, don't get me wrong, I love my cousin to death, but he is such a nerd and I know he will love this."

"I was hoping you bought something a bit more…fun," Erik said.

"Oh, I did. We found a bulk candy store and filled this," she pulled out a plastic bucket, "with Hershey Kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups for Uncle Hunk. And look what I bought for Figment." She pulled out a red, white, and blue dog sweater. "Isn't it cute? I got one for Greedo too."

Erik rolled his eyes and fell back against the headboard, "Yeah, that's just adorable."

Sky set the sweater on the bed and walked over to answer the knock at the door.

Henry, the Alexander's butler, stood on the other side, "Dinner is to be served in ten minutes."

She smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

"I knocked on the Princess' door, but there was no answer."

Erik joined Sky, "She's probably with Tristan."

"There was no answer at his door either."

"They, uh, they had a lot to talk about, they might not be joining us for dinner," he explained.

Henry nodded and turned to leave.

"Hm, well, I hope Tristan is filling her in on everything," Sky murmured as she shut the door.

"I'm sure he is," Erik replied.

* * *

Tristan combed his fingers Cady's thick curls as she lay on his chest, her eyes closed. It was dark out, the afternoon had slipped into evening without them noticing. They had been distracted by other activities. 

As far as he was concerned, they could stay right where they were for the next three weeks. For the rest of their lives.

Cady sighed softly and rolled onto her side.

"I thought you were asleep," he said quietly.

"No, just…relaxed."

"How are you?"

"I was just thinking of something Sky said to me," she whispered, resting her head on her hand so she could look down at him.

"And what was that? How lucky you are to have such a hot boyfriend?"

She chuckled, "No. After she and Erik had…well, after they had celebrated his birthday, I asked her what it was like and she told me that she had never felt so loved, so complete. I now know what she meant."

Tristan stroked her cheek with his fingertips before capturing her chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling her close for a kiss. "So do I," he breathed.

"But…but you've done this before."

He blushed slightly, "Uh, yeah, I have. But never with you. What we just did was…amazing."

"Incredible."

"Astonishing."

"Fantastic."

"Extraordinary."

Cady giggled and kissed him, "I love you."

"Me too," he said, cupping the back of her head and deepening the kiss.

They broke apart at the knock on the door. Cady gasped and pulled the blankets up over her head.

"Who is it?" Tristan called.

"It's Henry, sir."

"What is it, Henry?"

"You missed dinner, sir, I was wondering if you would like something brought up."

Cady whimpered and tried to burrow deeper under the covers.

"That would be fine. We'll need two plates." Tristan called back.

Cady groaned.

"Very good, sir."

Tristan slowly pulled back the covers and looked down at her, a grin on his face, "You okay?"

"He knows we're in here together."

"Yes."

"That is so embarrassing."

"Why?"

"Why? Because…because he's going to know that…that we're in here together."

"Yes, but he doesn't know we just had amazing sex."

Her face burned a brilliant shade of red.

"My God, I love you," he laughed, kissing her hard.


	7. Getting Away

Tristan sat on the edge of his bed and gently stroked Cady's cheek as she slept. He had woken over an hour earlier, showered, dressed and gone to take care of a few things. He hated to disturb her as she slept so peacefully, but they had a busy day ahead of them and since he knew how long it took her to get ready, he had to wake her.

"Cady?"

She sighed softly and turned her face away from him.

He chuckled softly, "Cady, sweetie, its time to get up."

"Don't wanna," she mumbled into her pillow, pulling the comforter up to her chin.

"You have to, we have a lot to do today."

Cady slowly opened her eyes and blinked, trying to read the clock on the bedside table. "It's only eight."

"Yes," he brushed her hair aside and pressed a kiss to her temple. "But we have a very busy day ahead of us."

She rolled onto her back and looked up at him, stretching her arms above her, "What do you mean?"

He stretched out beside her and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles, "You need to get up and get dressed and then pack a bag."

"Why?"

"Because, after we take Erik and Sky to the airport, you and I," he kissed her wrist, "are going to my family's cottage on Cape Cod." He turned her arm over and kissed the inside of her forearm, "All by ourselves. No families, no friends, just us. The two of us. Alone."

"Really?" She slid her arms around his shoulders and hugged him close. "But their flight isn't for another three and a half hours."

"Yes, but, you need to pack and we have to get to the airport early."

"Killjoy."

"Oh no, I'm not killing any joy," he assured her as he unwrapped her arms from his neck. "I promise to show you plenty of joy this weekend."

"Oh really?"

"Oh really."

Holding the blankets to her chest, Cady sat up, "How long are we going to be there?"

Unable to stop touching her, Tristan stroked her cheek, "Two nights. We'll be back Monday afternoon so we can head to your Grandmother's on Tuesday."

"What do I need to take? Are we going anywhere special?"

"If I have my way," he whispered, kissing her gently. "You won't need more than your coat to wear from the car to the house."

She cocked an eyebrow, "So, dress casual?"

"Very, very casual. Like," he paused and looked pensively out the window. "Like…naked casual."

"Naked casual?"

"Well, if you want to do dressy naked, we could do that too."

She laughed and pushed him away, "Go! I have to get dressed."

"Okay, okay," Tristan sighed dramatically and stood. "If you have to. But make sure it's something skimpy and revealing."

Cady giggled quietly as she slipped out of bed, looking for her clothes. She couldn't find the outfit she had worn yesterday and came to the conclusion that Tristan really must not have liked it. Her bags were no longer there, he had probably taken them to her room for her. At a loss as to what else to do, she slipped on the green robe he had given her the night before.

Cady pulled the door open and peered into the empty hall. Seeing no one, she slipped out and scurried down the hall, feeling the thick, plush carpet beneath her bare feet, tickling her soles and adding to her already giddy feelings.

"Nice robe."

She yelped and jumped, spinning around to see Sky standing in the doorway to her room, a smirk on her face.

"Geez, Sky, you gave me a heart attack!" Cady hissed, pressing a hand over her heart.

"Did you lose your clothes?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay, then I guess that explains the robe. What else did you lose?"

Cady's face heated up, "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you do."

The Princess paused a moment before opening the door to her room and motioning for her friend to follow her.

"So?" Sky sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"

"What do you think happened?"

"Everything's okay with you and Tristan?"

"Okay? Okay! Everything is absolutely fantastic!"

"Did he tell you…everything?"

"Yes he did."

"And?"

Cady opened the closet and pulled out one of her suitcases, "And what?"

"Come on, Cady."

"He told me all about him and Alexis."

"But I guess he liked your makeover."

"No, actually, he hated it."

Sky raised her eyebrows, "Now I'm confused."

"He hated my straightened hair so much that he gave me a bath and washed the relaxer out."

"He gave you bath and washed your hair? That sounds so romantic."

"It was. He was so sweet, so gentle. Sky, after last night, I…I can't believe I ever doubted how he felt for me or that he might…leave me for Alexis. That girl doesn't have chance."

"Well, I hate to say 'I told you so', but…"

"No you don't."

"What?"

Cady put her hands on her hips, "You don't hate to say it, you've been looking forward to saying it."

"True. So are you going to forget all about Alexis?"

"Yup. I am going to go away with Tristan and we are both going to forget she exists."

"You're going away?" Sky asked.

"He's taking me to his family's cottage on Cape Cod," she said dreamily.

"What's Cape Cod?"

"Ask me in a couple of days."

Sky smiled, "I'm glad you two were able to work everything out."

"So am I. But if you'll excuse me, I have to get dressed. We're leaving straight from the airport after we drop you guys off."

"Dress warm," Sky suggested as she stood. "It's snowing."

Cady scowled, "Snowing? We'll have to come back to Terra during the summer.

* * *

"You know, our flight leaves in two hours," Erik said.

He, Sky, and Tristan were standing in the foyer, their suitcases at their feet, waiting for Cady to join them.

"She probably needs help with all her suitcases," Sky muttered.

"We're only going to be there two days," Tristan replied. "She should be able to fit it all into one small bag."

Erik and Sky looked at each other and then burst into laughter.

"All right, all right," he mumbled. "I'll go see what's keeping her."

"Good luck," Erik called as Tristan headed up the stairs.

Tristan fought back the urge to make a rude gesture to his friend and jogged up the stairs. The door to Cady's room was ajar, he knocked softly as he pushed it open. "Cady?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called from the closet.

"The flight leaves in less than two hours."

"I know."

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," she stepped out of the closet with a blue sweater in hand. "When you suggested casual naked, you didn't tell me it was snowing."

He grinned when he saw the way her curls framed her delicately featured face, "I'm sure we can find ways to keep warm."

She folded the sweater, set it in the suitcase and zippered it shut, "Okay, but if I get cold, it's your fault."

"I'll take responsibility for that," he replied, picking up the suitcase as she slipped her coat on.

Erik was checking his watch again as Sky stood beside him, her arms crossed and foot tapping when the two of them appeared on the stairs.

"Your hair looks really cute like that," Sky told her friend.

Cady fluffed her hair with her fingers, "Thank you."

"Are we ready to get going?" Erik asked.

"Yeah," Tristan pulled open the front door. "My car's parked around the side. We can…"

He was cut off by the site that greeted them on the front lawn. Four vans were parked on the street and four cameras, each accompanied by a reporter, along with a few more reporters carrying tape recorders, stepped forward shouting out questions.

"Your Highness! What do you have to say about the allegations being made about the treatment of Vinn on your home planet?"

"Lieutenant Johansson! Is it true the Voltron Force was ordered to use excessive force when detaining Vinn?"

"Are the allegations true?"

"Did you have any part in the mistreatment of the prisoners?"

"Were you even aware of the mistreatment?"

Cady's eyes widened as they shot out their questions. "It's not true!"

"Come on," Tristan gripped her arm and pulled her along. "Just ignore them, let's get to the car."

"How did they find out we were here?" Erik asked as Tristan put the car in reverse and pulled away from the house.

"I don't know, but contact Keith, let him know the Terran media is all over this."

"They believe Vinn," Cady said, disbelievingly.

"They're just looking for a story," Sky mumbled.

"It's a good thing we made plans to get out of here," Tristan added. "I'll make some phone calls and find out how they found you and to make sure they won't be here when we get back."

Erik pulled out his communicator and dialed up Castle Control, "You going to warn your parents?"

"I'm going to talk to Henry and have him take care of it."

Cady looked over her shoulder as they pulled away, watching as the cameras followed their car and the print reporters pulled out cell phones. A shiver slid down her back as she realized that there were people out there who actually thought her family was capable of doing what Vinn accused them of.

* * *

"Erik just called in," Keith told Allura as he entered her office.

She looked up from the correspondence she was working on, "Is everything all right?"

"The media has tracked Cady down and met them in front of the house when they tried to leave."

"Oh no. What are they doing?"

"Tristan promised to make sure the press stayed off their property and that she didn't have to face them again. We have to nip this in the bud now, we can't allow this to ruin their trip. I'm thinking we should make an official statement to the Terran press."

"When should we do that?"

"After the investigators finish up here, we'll take their findings and make a statement."

Allura nodded, "When are they supposed to get here?"

"They should be here in ten minutes, Paton is on her way up now."

She stood and walked around her desk, taking the arm he offered her, "I have to admit I'm a little nervous, Keith."

"You have no reason to be, honey, we did nothing wrong."

"But then why did the Garrison send a group of investigators? I mean, they know us, they know all we have done over the years. They should have just tossed this accusation out the window."

"The Garrison has to investigate, they have to check out an allegations of wrongdoings during any trial," Keith explained as his communicator beeped. "Whitaker."

"Hey, Keith," Lance answered. "They've entered Arusian airspace, they'll be landing in five minutes."

"We're on our way, Lance," he snapped his communicator shut and smiled at his wife. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

"Have a safe trip," Cady said as she hugged Sky tightly.

"You too," Sky returned her embrace. "Have fun."

"Come on, Sunny," Erik took her hand. "We have a flight to catch and you guys are going to see each other in a week."

"Bring me back something cool," Cady called after them.

"Me too," Tristan added, teasingly.

"Will do!" Erik called over his shoulder.

"Do you think we'll be like that after a year?" Cady asked suddenly.

Tristan looked down at her, "What do you mean?"

"Well, look at the two of them. They've been together almost a year now and they are so madly in love." She said wistfully as Erik leaned in to kiss Sky while they waited in line.

"I think we'll be like that fifty years from now," he assured her, taking her hand. "Come on, I want to get on the road before it gets any worse. If we're going to get snowed in anywhere, I'd rather it was the cottage, alone, than at my parent's house."

"I am so excited about this trip," she smiled up at him. "We don't get a lot of time all alone."

"I was thinking about that."

"You have?"

Tristan looked down at her, "Cady, do you ever feel a little crowded in the castle?"

"Well, there are a lot of people living there, but they're my family."

"I know, honey, and I love them dearly, but, well, there are times when I really just want some time alone with you and it is really hard to find."

She quietly digested what he was saying before she responded. "I have thought about that. But I am next in line for the throne and I need to be in the castle. I have responsibilities…"

"I know," he interrupted gently. "I'm not asking you to give anything up, I just…get frustrated sometimes."

"And so we'll have to find ways to sneak off like this," Cady promised, squeezing his hand.

* * *

"And what, exactly, is your procedure when you bring prisoners in?" Major Dinsman asked as he and his two associates were escorted down to the dungeons by Keith and Allura.

"Before the police department was set up, prisoners were brought in here, taken directly to the dungeons, either by way of Castle Control or directly from the outside by way of the garages." Keith explained. "They were frisked by a guard of the same sex, only men frisk men and women frisk women. Then they were photographed. The perpetrator was then locked up in a cell, fed three times a day until they were formally charged and picked up by Garrison officials for trial. We'll take you on a tour of our cells now, then we can take you downtown and show you where we keep prisoners now."

"Where was Vinn kept?" Dinsman asked.

"He was injured when he first arrived, so he was set up in a cell here so our doctor could see to him. The next morning he was sent downtown where he was questioned and kept under guard until Garrison officials came to collect him."

"And you no longer keep prisoners in the castle dungeons?"

Keith shook his head, "Now that we have a proper police department and jail, we take the prisoners down there. I like to try and keep them out of our home, away from my family."

Captain Garner, one of the two soldiers accompanying Dinsman, made a note on her clipboard and asked, "You said Vinn was injured when he arrived here, what happened?"

"You have a copy of the full report of what happened. Vinn had taken the members of the Polluxian royal family hostage, the Voltron Force went on a rescue mission where three of the Force members were captured. During their escape, they, in turn, captured Vinn and two of our Force members and Vinn were injured. None of the injuries was life threatening."

"What sort of injuries did Vinn sustain?"

"He was bruised and a little battered, nothing serious. He actually didn't need to see a doctor."

The other soldier who had arrived with Major Dinsman, Captain Sodian, flipped through the file he held in his hand, "This doctor…Dr. Audric, she's married to one of your men, isn't she?"

"Yes," Allura spoke up. "She's married to Lieutenant Pidge Audric, the original Green Lion pilot of Voltron."

"Uh huh," Sodian looked back at his file. "And the chief of police, Chief Paton Landers, she is married to another member of your team, right?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Hunk Landers, the original Yellow pilot. Why?"

"It just seems…convenient that all the professionals who back up your claims are a part of your inner circle."

Allura narrowed her eyes, "What are you implying, Captain?"

"Nothing, Your Highness, I'm just trying to connect all the dots."

Keith laid a hand on her arm, signaling his wife to keep quiet. "This is the cell where Vinn was kept overnight."

Dinsman stepped through the narrow doorway and looked around the eight foot by ten foot room. There was a cot with a thin mattress made up with clean linens, a small sink and toilet, and a barred window was on the wall opposite the door. It was small and sparse, but it was clean and fulfilled all the requirements for fair housing of prisoners.

Captains Sodain and Garner searched the room carefully, checking the bed and the plumbing.

"Everything appears to be in order," Garner said ten minutes later.

Dinsman nodded slowly and turned to Keith and Allura, "We will also like to speak with Dr. Audric when we finish with Chief Landers."

"That can be arranged," Allura assured him.

"I would also like to see the kitchens, where the food is prepared and who prepares it."

Keith nodded, smiling softly at the thought of these people crossing Nanny. "Chief Landers should be here any moment now, we'll head up to Castle Control and wait for her there."


	8. Owen's Story And Nanny's Tirade

Hi all!

Thank you so much for the great reviews.

I just wanted to give you a bit of a warning that the end of this chapter gets a bit risque, oh, and fluffy. I just couldn't resist, it just happened :) I don't know if it's R rated, since I was corrected last time I said that. But it is definitely a strong PG-13.

Enjoy!  
Failte

* * *

"So you and Owen have been friends for thirteen years?" Cady asked as they drove toward the Alexander house in Catham.

"Yeah, we've been partners in crime for over half our lives. I used to spend more time at his house than my own, I practically moved in when we were in high school."

"What's his family like?"

"He has two older brothers, Denny is an orthopedic surgeon and Jaime is a dean at a private school in northern Massachusetts. His mother is the sweetest lady I have ever known, an angel really, to have raised the McIntyre boys. His father, is a state judge, and knows more stupid jokes than anyone I'd ever known in my life."

"A judge? Is that why Owen went into law?"

Tristan shook his head, "Partially. That's why he went into one form of law before switching his concentration. It's a really sad story, actually."

"What happened?"

"When we were in our junior year of high school, Owen met Colleen Warren. Colleen was something else, she was the only girl I have ever met who could keep up with Owen. They dated for five years when he proposed to her the summer before their senior year of college. The plan was that after college, Owen would continue on to law school, studying environmental law and Colleen, who was studying business, would find work. Their long term goal was to get married after he finished law school, Colleen wanted to open a small boutique and gift shop on the Cape and Owen wanted to start a small practice." Tristan stopped and cleared his throat. "Last year, Colleen was returning home late from work as an assistant manager at a bookstore. She never made it home. They…they found her body four days later."

Cady clasped her hands over her mouth and gasped, "Oh my God."

"I won't go into details, but it was pretty bad. Owen was devastated, totally inconsolable. He was about to drop out of school when his father sat him down and talked him through it. In the end, he returned to school and changed his concentration to criminal law. He is making it his goal in life to put as many criminals as he can behind bars, he wants to fight for victims rights."

"Did they ever find who did that to Colleen?"

Tristan shook his head, "No."

"Poor Owen," she sighed.

"He's a strong guy, he's doing so much better now that he has a purpose to fight for. He's a great guy, he'll be fine."

Cady turned and stared out the window. The snow had let up, leaving barely an inch on the ground as flurries continued to swirl around the car. Her heart broke for Owen, the sweet, funny, kindhearted friend she had made just a few days ago. She turned back to Tristan when she felt his hand gently squeeze her knee.

"He has an amazing family and support system, Owen will be just fine."

She laid her hand on his, "And he has wonderful best friend."

"He is pretty much back to his old self, I mean, he'll never be completely the same again."

"You never know when everything can change," Cady whispered. "They had their whole lives planned out together and then in one moment it was gone."

Tristan turned his hand over and curled his fingers around hers, "Which is why we need to appreciate what we have now, live each moment to its fullest."

Cady lifted his hand and kissed it, "I love you and I promise to tell you that at least twice a day every day for the rest of our lives."

* * *

"The kitchen is right through here," Keith said as he and Allura led Major Dinsman and Captains Sodian and Garner through the castle. "It's almost time for lunch, so Nanny should be in here. She is the one who prepares or oversees the preparations of all meals."

"Nanny?" Dinsman asked.

"She was my governess when I was a child and she has helped with our children, we all just got into the habit of calling her Nanny." Allura explained. "Her name is Edina. Edina Harad."

"Ach, no Nicholas," Nanny chided as the door slid open. "You cannot have scrambled eggs for lunch, I'm making chicken salad."

"Hey Nicky," Keith greeted his youngest as they all walked in. "Why don't you go find your sisters?"

"I'm hungry, Daddy," he whined.

Allura went to the refrigeration unit and pulled it open. "Here, Nicky, take this and run along. We'll come get you for lunch," she said, handing him an apple and a bottle of juice.

The little boy looked as though he was going to say something else, but he could tell when it was not a good time to argue. He took the snack from his mother and hurried out of the room.

"How many children do you have in the castle?" Captain Garner asked.

"We have six children ranging in age from six to twenty and Lt. and Dr. Audric also live in the castle with their three children, ranging in age from one month to ten years. With all the other Force members and their families living near by, we often have a house full of kids."

"I can see why you would want to keep the perps out of the castle."

"Nanny," Allura walked up to the gruff elderly woman who had played such a huge part in her life. "This is Major Dinsman and Captains Sodian and Garner of the Garrison. They would like to speak with you about the food you have prepared for the prisoners that were brought here in the past."

Nanny sat down at the table and went back to cutting cold, cooked chicken breasts into small chunks, "It will be lunch soon, if you would like to speak with me, you'll have to excuse me while I finish preparing the meal."

"Oh, of course," Dinsman pulled out the chair across from Nanny and sat down. "We just have a few questions, Ma'am, we won't take up much of your time."

Nanny nodded, "All right, go ahead then."

"You are in charge of all the meals that were sent to the prisoners in the cells?"

"I am in charge of all cooking and baking here, so yes."

"And what did you normally prepare for them?"

"They would have whatever it was I made for the family that night. I have a lot of work to do and I don't have time to make something special for the ruffians that were brought in here."

"So they were fed well?"

Nanny looked up at him, "Are you questioning my cooking skills?"

"No, Ma'am, I'm sure you're a fine cook," Dinsman said, eyeing the knife she held. "I mean nothing personally, we just have certain questions we have to ask."

"I am a fine cook and those rapscallions in the cells were fed better here than they ever were by the Garrison, I can guarantee that. I never fully approved of how well the Commander treated the prisoners. Not one of the hooligans that were brought in here deserved that kind of treatment. If I had my way, they would have only been fed water and stale bread and they would not have been given such good linens on their bed. Do you think those hoodlums learned anything? No! What kind of punishment do they get for all the crimes they committed? They get a warm place to lay around all day while their three meals are brought to them. Then you come and take them to bigger, better prisons. What ever happened to hard labor? There was a time when prisoners were put to work, pay off their debt to society. Now they're coddled for fear of lawsuits."

Dinsman sat quietly through Nanny's tirade as he watched the older woman chop the meat with a vengeance, a little intimidated by the way she wielded a knife.

"I have been on this planet for the entire seventy-four years of my life and I have survived more attacks than any person should ever have to survive. When I think back on what has been done to this beautiful planet and how they have threatened and hurt the wonderful royal family, oh! I just get so…oh! None of those ruffians should be allowed such privileges when they try to take so much away from innocent people."

Keith stood beside the door trying to decide if he was mortified by what Nanny was saying, or proud.

Nanny stood and collected a large bowl to mix the chicken salad. "Now, what questions did you have Major?"

"We are investigating some complaints that were made…"

"Oh I heard about those complaints," she interrupted, slamming the bowl on the table. "And it is all a load of horse manure."

"I appreciate your cooperation, Ma'am, but we must investigate all claims…"

"Ha!" Nanny snorted as she added the ingredients and whipped up the chicken salad. "Let me tell you, Major, that you are in the home of the most honest, kind-hearted, thoughtful Queen you will ever meet. No prisoner brought into this castle, in the forty-eight years that I have worked here, has ever been mistreated, if anything, they've been spoiled."

Major Dinsman pursed his lips, he knew Nanny would only stand up for the Queen and Prince Consort. Interviewing her was going to get him nowhere. He looked down at the clipboard he had been carrying and glanced over his notes. The sound of a plate being slammed down in front of him had him raising his eyes to Nanny.

"Try that," she said pointing to the plate in front of him. "That is what I have made for lunch today. If there were any prisoners in the cells now, this is what they would be having."

Dinsman looked at the plate. Two thick slices of wheat bread were filled with chicken salad and shared a plate with chunky applesauce.

"I made it all myself, baked the bread this morning, and I made and canned the applesauce a few months ago. For dessert is a cherry pie I made earlier. When was the last time you had anything that good?"

"It looks very good, Ma'am."

"Try it."

"I don't…"

"Go ahead, Major," Keith spoke up. "Nanny is the best cook on Arus, trust me, you'll regret it later if you don't."

The Major set his clipboard down and picked up half the sandwich. He felt a little foolish, having five pairs of eyes on him as he bit into a sandwich. "This is very good," he said, impressed.

"Of course it is," Nanny huffed. "I am a fine cook."

"I never said you weren't…"

She ignored him as she went about preparing lunch for the children. "I cannot believe the Garrison is taking the word of that man, Vinn, over ours. What has the Arusian royal family ever done to make you doubt their honesty and goodwill? Huh? What? Nothing! That's what! I can't believe that with all that is going on nowadays, you are wasting your time and ours with these silly allegations. Do you have any idea how busy Her Highness is? Obviously you don't or else you wouldn't be here now wasting our time."

"With all due respect, Ma'am, this is not a waste of time."

Nanny glared at him, "Tell me how it isn't."

"It is important that we are able to present a complete picture to the judge and jury of Mr. Vinn's trial and in order to do that we must investigate all his claims and either back them up or discredit them."

"Yes, well, I can tell you right now that he is making it all up."

"I appreciate your input, Ma'am, but…"

"I am an honest woman, Major, you can take me at my word."

"I'm sure I can, but you have to understand that we…"

"I have told you all I can tell you," she said dismissively. "But it is time I fed the children their lunches. If there is anything else, you can come speak to me later this afternoon."

Major Dinsman sat stunned for a moment, shocked that he had just been dismissed by the elderly governess of the royal family.

Keith bit back a smile and spoke up, "If you'll please come with us, Major, we can take you to speak with Dr. Audric."

* * *

Cady wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chilling wind that blew in off the ocean as snow once again began to fall. The 'cottage' Tristan had brought her to was actually a huge, five bedroom house with its own stretch of private beach. They had arrived in the early afternoon, after the snow had stopped and the sun had peeked out from the clouds, melting the remnants of the morning storm.

They had dropped off their bags at the house and returned to the car, ending up in Hyannis to have a late lunch and do some shopping and sightseeing. She had had a wonderful time with Tristan and was blown away by the historic beauty they had seen. But in the back of her mind she kept thinking about what Tristan had told her on the way up. She thought about Owen and she thought about everything her parents had gone through, how close they came to losing each other, or how close Uncle Lance had come to losing Aunt Darcy. Granted, things were not as dangerous on Arus as they had once been, but it didn't take a war to be in danger. She shivered at the thought of poor Colleen.

This was how Tristan found her. He had just finished placing an order to have their dinner delivered from the most expensive restaurant in town. He knew it didn't matter to her, but Tristan found himself wanting to shower Cady with everything extravagant he could find. Whether it was the most expensive lobster meal from the classiest place on the Cape or a bath of diamonds, he wanted to spoil her. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to the living room where he retrieved a warm blanket from a chest under the window and throwing it around his shoulders.

Cady was leaning against the waist high railing that circled the elaborate back porch. Tristan approached her from behind, passing the hot tub that had him hoping that at some point they'd be able to use it. The strong scent of the ocean washed over him and he was hit with a sudden sense of longing. Tristan loved the ocean, he always had, and this was his favorite place to be. Memories of years past spent in this very house, looking out over the beach and water flooded his mind. More than anything, he wanted to stay here, with her, for the rest of their lives. True, that was implausible, but it was a nice dream.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, enveloping them both in the blanket as she leaned back against him. "Penny for your thoughts," he whispered as her hair ticked his neck and her body warmed his.

"My thoughts are worth more than a penny," she teased.

"Okay, a nickel then."

She turned in his arms and slid her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest. Rather than responding, they stood in silence, listening to the waves pound the sand and the random cries of seagulls. "This place is so beautiful," she whispered after a few moments.

"This was always my favorite place. I had hoped it would be warm enough to have a picnic on the beach."

"We'll have to come back in the summer," Cady said, tipping her head back to look at him. "We'll picnic all day by the water."

He brushed his lips over hers, "And make love by the water all night."

She giggled, "I hate to imagine all the uncomfortable places the sand might find."

Tristan rested his forehead against hers, "I was trying to be romantic."

"Oh you are," she assured him, hugging him closely.

He felt the shiver run through her. "Why don't we go inside where it's warmer? Dinner will be here soon."

"What did you order?"

"Lobster."

She wrinkled her nose, "You mean those big bug things?"

"They're a delicacy."

"They're big bugs."

"You cannot come to New England and not have lobster."

"Fine."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the door and into the warmth of the living room. "And if you don't like it, there's always dessert."

Cady raised her eyebrows and smirked, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. This place has the best cheesecake."

Half an hour later, the two of them sat in front of the fireplace with plates of salad and lobster. Tristan was trying to show her how to break the claws off and use the small fork to pull out the meat inside. Cady sat with her mouth hanging open, watching him tear apart the ugly, dark red creature, her face turning a little green.

"Come on, Cady, it's not that bad, it's really good," he said, offering her a piece of meat.

"Uh, no thank you, I'm really not that hungry. I think I'll just stick to the salad."

Tristan mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'sissy'.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"I said, 'Oh goody, more for me.'"

"You did not."

He smiled mischievously, "Wanna fight?"

"That wouldn't be very ladylike."

"Yeah. So?"

Cady nibbled at her salad, "I can't believe you're eating that thing."

"Don't knock it till you try it."

"We'll have to call my parents tomorrow."

"Why?"

"They said the investigators from the Garrison were arriving today, I want to hear what they have to say."

"Cady," he took her hands. "You know Vinn is lying, right?"

"Yes."

"So they're not going to find anything, right?"

"Yes."

"So you can wait until Monday to call. Like I said, this weekend is just you and me."

She smiled softly, "All right, but what if…"

"Then they will call you."

"What are the plans for tomorrow?"

He pushed aside his plate and scooted closer to her, "I don't know, I'm more interested in what the plans are for tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," he nuzzled her throat.

"You know what I'm thinking about?" Cady whispered huskily.

"What's that?" He asked, slipping his hand under her sweater.

"Cheesecake."

"Cheesecake?"

"Cheesecake."

Tristan lifted his head and looked at her, "I'm trying to seduce you here."

"There is nothing more seducing than a big," she kissed him, "thick," she kissed him again, "slab of cheesecake."

"Okay, okay, I can take a hint. Stay here, I'll be right back." He stood and gathered their plates.

"Can I help?"

"No, stay there."

Cady turned to face the roaring fire in the huge, stone fireplace. She drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees, watching as the flames danced and twirled. A contented sigh escaped her lips as she felt warm, happy, and loved. They would definitely have to come back here and visit, bring their children.

Tristan sat quietly beside her, holding two small containers, "I got chocolate chip and strawberry, which one…"

"Chocolate chip."

"How'd I know?" He teased handing her one of the containers and a fork.

"Are you saying the mystery is gone in our relationship?"

"Not at all."

Cady flipped the lid open, "This looks delicious." The cheesecake was a pale creamy yellow dotted with brown chocolate chips and a large chocolate rose on the wide end of the slice. She looked over at his dessert and licked her lips at the sight of the red sauce and strawberry slices that covered his slice.

"Want to share?" He asked.

"You mean give you some of mine too?"

"That's kind of the point of sharing."

"Okay," Cady stuck her fork through her piece, slicing it in half.

"You're keeping the rose?"

"Of course I am," she replied, swiping at the chocolate with her finger, meeting his eyes as she sucked her finger clean.

Tristan slid his fork into the smooth cheesecake and swirled it in the strawberry sauce before bringing it to Cady's lips. She closed her eyes and sighed as it melted on her tongue.

"Good, huh?"

"I never thought anyone could make it better than Nanny," she replied, returning the favor with a piece of her cake.

Tensions ran high as they continued to flirt and slowly tease each other. Tristan slid closer and they sat as close as they could without her actually sitting on his lap. Cady continued to slowly devour her dessert as he set his aside and began to devour her. Starting just below her ear, he kissed and gently sucked her skin, moving down her neck.

"You're still eating?" He whispered as he stroked her back and kissed his way back up to her ear.

"It's cheesecake," she replied as though that explained it all.

Tristan rested his chin on her shoulder, "Are you almost done?"

"You can't rush good cheesecake."

He sat back with a huff. "I can't believe I am sitting here all cute and sexy and you're more interested in cheesecake."

She smiled slyly, "Yes, well, you'll always be cute and sexy, but this cheesecake won't always be here."

Tristan trailed one finger up the inside of her leg, smiling as she shivered.

But Cady wasn't about to give in that easily. She made a show of licking her fork clean, slowly.

He watched closely as she swirled her tongue around the tines and he unconsciously licked his lips.

"Hm," she mumbled, staring at the container. "It's all gone."

Tristan snatched the container and fork and flung them across the room before pouncing on her. Cady laughed as he pinned her beneath him, his lips attached to her throat as he tugged at her sweater. He kissed his way up to her mouth, silencing her laughter as he took her breath away. After a moment, he lifted his head and looked down at her, her closed eyes and pink cheeks. Tristan gently stroked her cheek and shifted his weight so he was nestled between her legs.

Cady slowly opened her eyes and met his intense gaze. He grinned wolfishly and whispered, "Still thinking about cheesecake?"

She wove her fingers into his hair and brought his mouth back down to hers. "Always," she whispered when they broke apart.

"Then I guess I'm not trying hard enough," he said sitting up.

Cady watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it aside. She sat up and ran her hands over his chest, her fingers burning with the heat of his flesh. Tristan took her hands in his, gently kissing them, before letting them go. He gripped the hem of her sweater and slowly pulled it up, brushing her skin with his knuckles as he moved it up over her head.

She framed his face and drew him closer, meeting his lips with her own. Tristan wrapped his arms around her and fumbled for a moment with her bra before breaking the kiss and pulling her into a hug so he could look over her shoulder and undo the clasp. Cady took control and forced him onto his back, straddling his hips as she rose above him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're driving me crazy," he whispered.

"What?" She asked distractedly. "Oh, sorry, I was thinking about cheesecake."

"Oh, that is it!" He flipped her onto her back and retook control. His mouth began its journey at her mouth and moved down her throat, between her breasts, and over her stomach before returning north, circling her breasts with gentle kisses.

Cady writhed beneath him, clutching his hair in her hands and arching up toward his mouth.

After a few moments of this sweet torture, he lifted his head and looked down at her, "Still thinking about cheesecake?"

"Huh?" She asked confused, her eyes glazed over.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," he smirked as his hands unsnapped the button of her jeans.

Cady snapped out of her stupor and reached between them to tug at the button and zipper of his jeans. She gently kissed and sucked his throat at his pulse point, feeling the vibrations as a moan escaped from deep within him. "I love you," she whispered against his skin.

"Mm hm," he groaned.

Cady jolted at the sound of a bell. "Tristan?"

"Hm?" He asked, not stopping his exploration of her body.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"I heard a bell."

"I didn't hear…" He swore at the sound of the bell. "It's the doorbell. Ignore it."

"Who could it be?"

"No one. No one other than Henry, my parents and Erik and Sky know we're here."

"There could be an emergency."

He shook his head and kissed her, "Ignore it, they'll go away."

She nodded, forgetting the doorbell as he ran his hands down to her hips, pushing her jeans down.

A loud insistent pounding at the door interrupted them as Tristan head's shot up. "Dammit!"

"Go see who it is," Cady sighed. "I don't think they're leaving any time soon."

Tristan stood, grumbling under his breath as he closed his jeans and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head. Whoever it was, was still knocking loudly at the door when he wrenched it open, a scowl on his face.

"Lt. Alexander?" A woman dressed in a skirt and sweater underneath a long black coat stood on the stoop.

"Yes."

"I'm so sorry to arrive unannounced, but I was hoping to have a moment of your time and that of the Princess's, if she's available."

He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "No, she's not, and what is this about?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Samantha Sparks," she offered him her hand, shaking it curtly. "I am with the Boston Globe. I was hoping we could talk about the allegations…" She trailed off at the dark look that crossed his face and he took a step toward her.

"I don't know how you found out we were here," he growled. "But get off this property now or I will call the police and have you arrested for trespassing."

"Our readers…"

"I don't care about your readers. We have no comment on any of this. Now this is your last warning before I call the police. Good bye." He slammed the door in her face.

Tristan took a moment, anger coursing through him. _How did she find them? Why couldn't they just leave us alone?_

"Tristan?"

He turned at the sound of Cady calling him, "Yeah, I'll be right there." He took a moment to collect himself and calm his anger before returning to the living room. The sight that greeted him wiped away any thought of reporters, Vinn, allegations, or even breathing.

Cady had removed the rest of her clothes and was lying on the floor in front of the fire, the blanket they had used earlier was covering her, outlining every curve and line of her body. He swallowed hard and crossed the room to kneel beside her.

"Who was it?" She asked.

"No one, they won't bother us again," he assured her as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Is there room for me under that blanket?"

"Hm," Cady pursed her lips and looked under the blanket. "It'll be close."

"I'm willing to chance it."

* * *

The fire had died down to barely a glow amongst the logs. Cady curled up close to Tristan, her head on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around his waist. The sound of the waves hitting the shore mixed with the strong wind and his gentle breathing, lulling her into a comfortable doze.

"Are you cold?" He whispered, his breath ruffling her hair.

"Not at all. I'm still a little warm, actually."

"I guess I finally got your mind off cheesecake, huh?"

"Barely."

He chuckled and stroked her back, "I love you, Cady."

She lifted her head and looked down at him, "Tristan?"

"Hm?"

With his eyes closed and his hair mussed, he looked so sweet. She gently stroked his cheek, "It's always going to be like this, right?"

He cracked his eyes open and smiled softly, "Absolutely."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She laid her head back down and closed her eyes, "I love you, too, Tristan."


	9. Teachings

"Dr. Audric will be with you in a moment," Nurse Jewelia told them as Keith and Allura escorted the Garrison investigators into the hospital wing.

"Is everything all right?" Allura asked.

"Oh, of course. It's lunchtime." The nurse said slyly, winking.

"Oh. Yeah." Keith mumbled and turned back to the others. "Please have a seat."

Allura giggled softly. Even after they had six children, Keith was still a little uncomfortable at the thought of breastfeeding a baby.

"So this is your hospital?" Dinsman asked, looking around.

"Yes it is, we'll go on a tour when Becca is done," Keith said.

"How long has Dr. Audric been the practicing physician here?"

"She trained with Dr. Gorma, the former royal physician, for about eight years. Then she took over officially about eight years ago."

"She is the only doctor now?"

"Yes, but Dr. Gorma has come out of retirement to help when Becca got close to having a baby and to give her some time off after each birth."

Dinsman nodded as he studied the diplomas that hung on the wall.

The door slid open and Pidge walked in. He stopped and saluted, "Cap."

"At ease, Pidge," Keith replied. "This is Major Dinsman and Captains Sodian and Garner. And this is Lieutenant Pidge Audric."

They saluted each other and exchanged pleasantries.

"I just came to pick up my youngest," Pidge explained, stopping in front of the door to Becca's office. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on them."

Five minutes later, the door opened and Becca stepped out, followed by Pidge who was cradling their son, Ben. "I'll come get him when we're done here," she told him, giving him a quick kiss.

Pidge grinned at her, "No hurry."

She turned to the people waiting for her and flashed her sweet smile, "Hello."

"Becca," Keith stepped forward. "This is Major Dinsman and Captains Sodian and Garner, they would like to ask you a few questions."

"Oh of course, um, my office is kind of small, it would probably be best if we stayed out here where there are enough chairs."

Major Dinsman nodded, but continued standing, "We'll try and make this quick, Dr, Audric, I understand how busy you are."

Becca nodded and leaned against the edge of the nurse's desk, "What can I do for you?"

"You were the attending physician when Vinn was brought to the castle, correct?"

"Yes I was."

"Can you tell me about the injuries he sustained."

"Yes, he wasn't badly injured at all, just a bruise on the cheek. He claimed to have been injured elsewhere, but I couldn't find anything. If you would like I can get you a copy of his file which includes an intrascan of what he claimed was a broken wrist."

"It wasn't broken, I take it."

Becca shook her head, "No, not even sprained. I truly believe he is a hypochondriac."

"That's your professional diagnosis?"

"Yes it is, but feel free to get a second opinion if you would like. I can even give you the names of some doctors I know on Terra."

Dinsman shook his head, "Thank you, but that won't be necessary, we've spoken to other doctors already."

Becca was dying to ask him what they had said, but she knew he wouldn't tell her. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Did you treat him here?"

"I first met with him in his cell and did my cursory examination there. He was only brought up here for the intrascan and then returned quickly to his cell."

Dinsman made a note on his clipboard and then tucked it under his arm. "Thank you, Dr. Audric, we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us."

"Of course," she shook the hand he offered. "Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

"Paton should be waiting for us in Castle Control," Keith said as he and Allura led them from the hospital.

"I was hoping we could speak with her downtown, I would like to see where Vinn was kept after he was taken from the castle," Dinsman said.

"No problem, we'll get a car to take us down to the station."

"Major, can I ask you about your findings so far?" Allura asked.

He shook his head, "I'm sorry, your highness, but you will have to wait until I have finished collecting all the data. I will make sure you receive a full copy of my report."

"I appreciate that, Major."

"Paton," Keith greeted her as they entered Castle Control. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine, Keith, sorry I was held up at the office or I would have been here sooner," she smiled.

"It's no problem, I'm just glad you could find time to get up here. Paton, this is Major Dinsman and Captains Sodian and Garner. Major, Captains, this is Chief Paton Landers."

She smiled and shook hands with all of them, "Welcome to Arus."

Major Dinsman studied the tall, raven haired woman with piercing blue eyes. She did not look like any police chief he had ever seen, she seemed nice, but there was an obvious strength about her. She carried herself an air of authority that made her both approachable and intimidating.

"We were hoping to take a tour of the police station and see where Vinn was held," Dinsman explained.

"Keith is calling for a car now," Allura spoke up.

"That'll be fine," Paton said. "We only have one cell in use at the moment, the one used to house Vinn is free."

"Good, good. I'd like to see that. Now, can you walk us through what a normal booking procedure would be?"

"Of course, would you like me to tell you about it now or wait until we get down to the station?"

"We can do it when we get down to the station. Now, Chief Landers, how long have you been chief of police here?"

"Since Keith started the Arusian Police Department, just over twenty years ago."

"Which would have made you a young chief."

Paton smiled, "I was twenty-three."

"What were your credentials to become chief?"

"I had actually studied law enforcement at the Jalson University on Planet Idilan, where I graduated at the top of my class. My family was originally from Arus, but they had left just as the war with Doom was starting. I always wanted to come back and when I learned that Queen Allura and her husband were rebuilding, I came and applied for a position on the police force. Keith felt I was qualified enough to be chief of police."

"And it was one of the best decisions I ever made," Keith said, joining them. "We can head down to the garage now."

The trip and tour of the police station was over in half an hour. Paton patiently answered all of Dinsman's questions and showing him the small cell that had held Vinn and where food was prepared. Several of her officers were questioned while Sodian and Garner did thorough searches of the cells.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Paton asked as she walked them to the door.

"No, thank you, Chief Landers, I believe we have everything we need right now," Dinsman told her.

Paton handed him one of her cards, "If you need anything else, feel free to contact me."

"I will, thank you."

Keith and Allura piled into the car with their guests. It had been a long day and they were both looking forward to this whole interrogation to be over.

"Are there any other people you would like to speak with?" Allura asked.

"We have spoken with everyone we need to," Dinsman answered.

Keith nodded, "We have made up guests rooms for you all."

"Thank you, Commander, we'll only need to stay one night, we're planning on leaving first thing in the morning."

"That's fine," Allura said. "We'll have dinner at seven and you are more than welcome to join us, if you'd rather not, we can have something sent to your rooms."

"Thank you, your highness, we appreciate your generosity."

* * *

Cady snapped her communicator shut and looked at Tristan. "The Garrison investigators have left," she told him. The two of them were on their way back to his parent's house.

"What did they say?"

"Nothing yet, they questioned my parents, Nanny, Becca, and Paton, but they wouldn't tell them their findings. Mom said they promised to send a copy of their report when they finished it."

Tristan took one hand off the steering wheel and laid it on her knee, "I'm sure everything went fine. What else did they have to say?"

"Mom liked my hair but I don't think Dad is too sure about it."

He chuckled, "Well, as long as you discussed the important things."

"I told them we were heading to Grandma's house tomorrow."

"Did they tell you when we can expect them to arrive on Terra?"

"A week from tomorrow."

"So, maybe," he trailed his hand up her leg. "After we visit your grandmother, we can sneak off and…"

"And what?" She asked, innocently.

"And have a day or two of wild, passionate sex."

"Maybe. We'll have to see."

"What if I promised you more cheesecake?"

"Depends on the cheesecake."

Tristan chuckled, "Honey, I am going to take you to a place you could only imagine in your wildest dreams."

"Where?"

"It's a place that once you step foot in it, you are going to want to move in."

"Where?" She repeated excitedly.

"The Cheesecake Factory."

"A whole factory?"

He laughed, "I love you so much, Cady."

"What?"

"It's a restaurant, but they have several different flavors of cheesecake."

"And you're hoping that if you take me there, you'll get lucky, huh?"

"Would you hate me if I said yes?"

"I would think you were a dirty-minded pig," she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "But I'd be even more disappointed in the fact that you think you have to bribe me with cheesecake when you could have me any time you want."

He grinned, "Really?"

"Sure."

"There's a rest stop ahead, he can pull over and…"

"Okay, maybe not_ any time_."

* * *

Sky glanced up at the clock and sighed. It was almost 9:00 and she knew someone would be knocking on her door soon to get her up. She and Erik had been at her grandmother's house for four days and she had been having a great time. They had gone sightseeing, hitting museums and stores. They had gathered with her extended family for picnics and get-togethers. It had been a lot of fun. But they had been on Terra for almost two weeks and had been going non-stop.

Now, Sky was curled up in the guest room at her grandmother's house, just enjoying the chance to relax. Precisely at 9:00am, there was quick rap at the door.

She groaned and turned her face into her pillow.

"Time to get up, Sunny," Erik said as he knocked.

"Go away," she called back.

With a smile on his lips, he turned the knob and slowly pushed to door open. Sunlight filtered in through the blinds and cut across the lump beneath the blankets. He crept into the room and paused for a split second before jumping and landing on top of her.

Sky groaned as he rolled off her and laid on his side, grinning at her. "I think I told you to go away," she mumbled.

"I couldn't help myself, you're just so cute," he teased, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She cuddled closer to him and closed her eyes.

"Your grandmother is waiting for you."

Sky grunted.

"Come on, Sunny, what's your problem?"

She opened her eyes, "Don't you just want a day off?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're on our vacation, Erik, and we haven't even had any time for R&R. Think about it. I mean I love my family and I am so very happy that I get to spend this time with them, but, well, even when we're at home and working, we get at least one day off each week."

"So, you want to sneak off somewhere and make out?"

She smirked, "That's certainly one way we could get a little R&R."

"Maybe next week…"

"Your parents and Aunt Allura and Uncle Keith are coming in for the trial and your grandparents are flying over."

"Hm," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell you what, Sunny, when we get back to Arus, I'll see what I can do about us getting a day off to recoup."

She snorted, "A vacation from our vacation?"

"Sure."

"Schuyler! Erik! Time to get up!" Molly Collier shouted from the foot of the stairs. "Come along now, Lawrence will be here in an hour and I want you to eat breakfast first."

Sky whimpered and pulled the blanket over her head, grumbling, "Why did you let him talk us into speaking to his classes?"

"Because he picked us and your cousins up at the bar the other night and didn't tell your grandmother."

She giggled.

"Yeah, you laugh now. Get up, Sunny."

"Okay, okay, but you have to leave so I can get up and get dressed."

"Why?" He raised his eyebrows. "Are you naked underneath that blanket?"

"You wish."

"You're right."

"Go," she shoved him off the bed.

After sharing a ridiculously large breakfast, the two of them climbed into Lawrence's SUV.

"You guys ready to face my students?" He asked.

"I think we can handle it," Sky told him.

"I told them you were coming and to make sure they had plenty of questions."

"You realize, right, that there are some questions we can't answer?" Erik asked.

"I know, only answer the questions you are at liberty to. Feel free to squelch their desire to learn by refusing to answer any other questions."

"Nice to know our options, Uncle Lawrence," Sky mumbled.

………………………………………….

Just over an hour later, Erik and Sky stood in front of a crowded classroom, answering the questions of Lawrence's students at the Academy.

"So you're telling us, that the Voltron Lions are magical?" A cadet in the front row asked sarcastically.

Erik nodded, "You don't choose to be a Voltron Lion, you are chosen. The Lion has to accept you as its pilot. We all received a calling of sorts, either through dreams or visions or both."

"A calling?" Another cadet said. "I find that hard to believe."

Sky shrugged, "It's true. There's a magic on Arus that you have to experience to understand, I could try and explain it to you, but you're obviously too cynical to believe me."

"Can you explain your rankings to us?" A girl in the front row asked.

"Well, the Voltron Force is a separate entity from the Arusian military," Erik explained. "I am the Commander of the Force, but we all report to Commander and Prince Consort Keith Whitaker. Schuyler is my second-in-command, followed in order by Blue's pilot, Declan Whitaker, Yellow's pilot, Gideon Whitaker, and Green's pilot, Brina Morrigan. All four of them are attending the officer school at the Arusian military academy, when they finish, they will be 2nd Lieutenants with the ability to move up through the ranks. I have had more military training than the others and I am a 1st Lieutenant."

A young man near the back of the room raised his hand, "What about the allegations recently made about the Voltron Force and the Arusian military using excessive force on a prisoner?"

"All I can say is that they are not true. I cannot go into detail because the investigation is underway."

A few more hands shot up just as the bell rang.

"All right, gang," Lawrence stepped forward. "Class is over, but I believe Commander Johasson and Ms. Collier are going to hang around for a bit, so if you have a free period next and would like to hang out, feel free too."

Most of the class filed out, but a few stragglers hung back. Sky soon found herself separated from Erik, surrounded mostly by girls.

"Have you found it difficult to succeed in a field dominated by men?" One of the female cadets asked her.

Sky shook her head, "No, I haven't, but then understand that my situation is different from yours. I have been destined to be Red's pilot since I was six years old. And I pretty much grew up with the team. I've known Erik, Declan, and Gideon my entire life, so we have a great relationship with plenty of respect for each other. I work hard, I am good at what I do, and I know it. I don't allow any of them to let me believe otherwise. You are all just as capable as any of these guys in this room."

"How did you know you were destined to be Red Lion's pilot?" Another cadet asked.

"I had received a calling, through dreams. My parents thought I was nuts, but Queen Allura believed me. I grew up with Red, my father was her original pilot, and I've been flying in her since before I could remember. My dad said I was six months old the first time he took me up, my mother said she was ready to leave him because of that."

"Do you see yourself doing this in ten, fifteen years?"

"Yes. I actually don't see myself as anything but a Voltron Force pilot."

"So you didn't have any formal training to fly Red Lion?"

Sky shook her head, "What Erik said earlier about there being magic involved is true. When you're accepted by the Lion, flying becomes almost second nature. Not to mention the fact that Red was pretty much my second home."

"If you hadn't received this calling, what would you be doing?"

"I would like to think that I would still be flying, probably in the Arusian Air Brigade. But thank goodness I did get my calling."

The next twenty minutes were spent with Sky answering questions about her training and the missions they had been on. She found that she was really enjoying this. Sky loved her job, her life, and she really loved having the opportunity to share it with people who were interested in learning about it.

The group began to thin out and Sky found herself alone after saying good bye as the last in her group left. Erik was still speaking to two stragglers as Lawrence came over and slung an arm around his niece's shoulders.

"How're you holding up, Schuyler?" He asked.

"Just fine, Uncle Lawrence, thanks."

"So, what do you think?"

"I think this is great. I actually had a lot of fun today."

"Are you guys going to hang around and have lunch in the mess?"

She looked over to see Erik shaking hands with the last student in the room, "I think we can. We'll have to see what Erik thinks."

"What I think about what?" He asked, joining them.

"Do you want to have lunch in the mess?"

Erik shrugged, "Sure. I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Academy."

"I'm free this period," Lawrence said. "I can give you a tour now and then we can head on to the mess."

He took them through the three classroom buildings, the firing range, the garages where the vehicles were kept, the hangers, and the dormitories. It was a large campus, housing over seven thousands students. Lawrence had been teaching military tactics there for twenty-five years, he had even been teaching when Sky's mother had attended.

"Now the food isn't that great, but it's pretty decent." Lawrence explained as they filed into the mess.

Several tables long enough to comfortably sit ten people filled the room. A long line had formed along the wall opposite them and led to a big window in the wall where trays were being loaded with food and passed through to the cadets waiting.

"Mm, mm," Lawrence mumbled. "Meatloaf. If I had known, I would have offered to take you off campus for lunch."

"Oh stop it, this is fine," Sky assured him.

The three of them joined the line and Erik and Lawrence quickly fell into a conversation about basketball, the one sport Sky had no interest in. So she occupied her time scanning the room. She noticed the noise level was low, everyone speaking quietly and the gentle scrap of utensils against metal plates. It seemed strange to her. A regular dinner at the castle produced twice as much noise as was going on in the mess hall.

"Hello."

Sky turned and looked at the man in front of her, "Hi."

He looked her up and down, taking in her casual appearance, "Are you touring the Academy? Thinking of joining?"

"No. I…"

"Give it some thought, we could use some more beautiful women here to brighten the campus," he said with a smile.

Sky fought the urge to roll her eyes, "I appreciate that, but I am not interested in attending the Academy, I'm…"

He looked over her shoulder, "Are you with him? Please tell me he's your brother."

This time she gave into the urge and rolled her eyes, "No, actually, he's my big, easily angered boyfriend."

"_Easily angered_?" The cadet raised an eyebrow. "Is that a threat or a cry for help?"

Lawrence leaned close to Erik and whispered, "I think your girlfriend is being hit on."

Erik glanced over and smiled, "Sky can handle herself."

"You're not going to charge in all chivalrous?"

"If I need to."

"But if she…" Lawrence stopped, shocked at what he saw as Sky grabbed the cadet's arm, twirled him around and forced him, face against the wall, onto his knees.

Silence fell as everyone watched this woman bring a man who outweighed her by about fifty pounds to his knees.

"_I said_, I wasn't interested," Sky hissed.

Biting back a smile, Erik laid his hand on her arm, "Let him go, Sunny."

"Is there a problem?" Lawrence asked in his best teacher tone.

"No sir," the cadet stood straight. "Just a misunderstanding, sir."

"Misunderstanding my a…"

"Sky," Erik interrupted.

Lawrence turned to his niece who smiled sweetly in response. "All right, cadet," he sighed. "Get your lunch and leave the young lady alone."

"Yes, sir."

Erik shook his head, "You just had to make a scene, didn't you?"

"He wouldn't leave me alone and you weren't exactly coming to my rescue," she retorted.

"I knew you could handle it yourself," he replied, accepting a tray passed through the window to him.

"I see you take after your father," Lawrence quipped.

"Was Dad a troublemaker?" Sky asked as she and Erik followed her uncle to a table.

"Oh, I don't know if I should tell you about Lance's younger years."

"Oh, I think you should."

Lawrence chuckled, "Lance was always getting in to trouble. There was underage drinking, I had to pick him up from the police station. He was quite popular with the girls, or rather, he thought he was. He would never tell you this, but your father was such a dork, he was shot down time after time." He stopped, laughing. "Seriously, you'll have to ask my mother to see the photo albums from when he just entered the Academy. He thought he was suave and cool, but he was such a dork."

"But Uncle Keith said he dated quite a few girls." Sky pointed out.

"Oh he did, eventually. He became cool by association with Sven and Keith. By then he had grown into his looks, his braces had come off, his face cleared up, he calmed down a bit, believe it or not. Keith was a good influence on him, he was able to get Lance and Sven to actually crack down a bit and study. Lance was one of the best pilots to ever come out of the Academy, he just needed to take it more seriously. But just as Keith helped rein the other two in, Lance and Sven corrupted Keith. Did they ever tell you about the time they mooned the Admiral's house?"

"Yeah, we've heard that story. What was that about underage drinking and the police station?"

"Lance was caught stumbling around off campus. He told the cops he was accosted by an onion vendor and was being chased by ostriches. They took him in for public drunkenness. And of course he called me to come bail him out."

"Wait," Erik interrupted. "An onion vender and ostriches?"

"He was totally wasted. It was two hours before he could even remember the number to dial."

"What did Nana and Pappy do?" Sky asked.

"I had an apartment and I took him back there. They didn't know about it until years later, one of the detectives who was at the station when Lance was brought in knew my dad and at a Christmas party a few years later, he told them."

"Okay, I have a question and I want you to be totally honest with me."

"Shoot Schuyler."

"Is it true that my father learned how to drive a standard car in five minutes one day when he had to pick Aunt Leslie up from school?"

"What?"

"When Dad was trying to teach me how to drive stick, he said he learned how to do it in five minutes going to pick up Aunt Leslie."

Lawrence laughed, "You have got to be kidding me! I was the one who had to teach him to drive stick. Lance was the only one who was able to break our father's patience. It took forever for him to get the knack of it, which is really pathetic when you think about it, considering the ships he has flown. And then he drove the car into a ditch the first time he took it out alone."

"So you're saying, that in reality, my father was not the suave, sophisticated, man-about-town, he always claimed to be?" Sky asked.

"That is exactly what I'm telling you," Lawrence told her. "That and he's full of hot air."

* * *

"Where's your young man?" Isabelle Whitaker asked her granddaughter as she sat across from her at the breakfast table.

Cady smiled, she loved that her grandmother referred to Tristan as her 'young man'. The two of them had been in Albany for two days, visiting with her family. Today was just a day to relax before they met her Aunt Dana and her husband for dinner. "He was in the shower, he should be down any minute now."

"He's such a nice boy. The two of you remind me so much of your parents."

"You're not the first person to tell me that."

"He is so polite, so nice. You're really in love with him, dear, aren't you?"

"Yes, Grandma, I am. He is the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Isabelle leaned closer. "I'll be honest with you, dear, I never really approved of the way they tried to force men on you with those balls and parties. I knew, _I knew_, you would find the right man for you. You are such a sweet, beautiful girl, just like your mother."

Cady smiled softly, "Thank you, Grandma."

"Sweetie, I will need your help getting dinner ready tomorrow night."

"No problem," Cady stood and carried her bowl to the sink. "Who all is coming?"

"Well, your Aunt Dana and her husband, Harry, and their two kids, Tracy and Dougie. And Gerald and Allyson are coming with their three kids, Adam is bringing his fiancée, Christy, and Ben is going to come later when he's done with work, and Susan will be there."

Cady smiled at the thought of the big family get together. She hardly ever saw her cousins and it was a very rare occasion to have them all together at once. "This is going to be so much fun."

"I know, I just wish your parents and brothers and sisters could be here."

"Dad said he and Mom are going to try and visit after the trial before they head back to Arus."

"Oh, I do hope they can, I would love to see them."

Cady kissed her grandmother's cheek, "I'm going to go see what's keeping Tristan."

"Okay, dear."

Cady jogged up the stairs and nearly ran into Tristan as he walked out of the bathroom. He was dressed in jeans and an old UMASS sweatshirt, his wet hair falling over his forehead and a small scrap of toilet paper was stuck to the side of his chin.

"Did you cut yourself?" She asked.

"Yeah, my blade was dull, we'll have to stop off somewhere so I can pick up a new razor," he muttered.

Cady stepped closer and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Tristan."

"For what?"

"For being such a good sport. I know this isn't exactly the most fun way to spend your vacation, hanging out with my family."

"No, Cady, I've had fun, really. This has been the most relaxing part of our trip so far and your family is great, your grandmother is so sweet."

She tilted her head back and smiled at him, "And here I thought I had to work overtime to keep you entertained."

"You don't have to entertain me, honey, I enjoy just being with you."

"Me too," she agreed, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I just have to grab my coat and we can go shopping."


	10. Romantic Rendevous

Hi all!

Thanks for the great reviews! I really appreciate them.

Zi Marquise - In response to your question, the original Force members resigned from the Garrison so they could stay on Arus. Dante and Caleb stayed with the Garrison and were reassigned elsewhere. I explained it in the beginning of "A Long Awaited Love Story", sometimes they make it back to Arus to visit, but they have moved on.

Big Fluffy Brain Candy Warning: This chapter is quite fluffy, I just couldn't resist. But things will be changing with the next chapter.

Thank you all!

Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

Sky stood with their luggage while she watched Erik at the counter, talking to the airline employee, a pretty blonde woman who kept checking her computer screen. _That is not her real hair color,_ Sky thought. _And **those** aren't real. Seriously, how can she walk around with those things?_

She watched as Erik smiled and nodded before turning around. He shrugged and walked back over to join her.

"Well, Sky, there seems to be a problem."

"What do you mean?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "They overbooked the flight and we lost our seats."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope. The next direct flight to Boston is tomorrow morning. Or we can take a flight to Pittsburgh this evening, have a three hour layover, fly from there to D.C. and a two hour layover, and from there to Boston. We would arrive tomorrow morning around five and we wouldn't be able to sit together."

"What about other airlines?" She asked.

"We can try that, or…" He trailed off and looked around.

"Or what?"

"I have a plan."

"Uh oh."

Erik grinned at her, "Let's drive."

"Drive! That's gotta be twelve hours."

"More like fifteen, but I've seen the way you drive, we could make it in thirteen."

"I don't know, Erik."

He smiled, "Come on, Sunny, think about it. We could see the country, spend some quality time together."

"It's a long trip."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice, "We could stop and get a hotel room for the night and really spend some quality time alone together."

Sky pursed her lips while she considered that. It did sound like fun. They could stop and eat at little out of the way restaurants, hit a few shops, it could be fun. "Yeah, let's do it."

Erik stole a quick kiss from her and grinned, "I'll go see about getting a car and you call Cady, let her know we won't be back tonight."

"When should I tell her to expect us?"

"Tell her we'll call her tomorrow."

"Okay, get us something sporty!" She called after him as she pulled out her communicator.

* * *

"Erik and Sky won't be back tonight," Cady told Tristan after slipping her communicator back in her bag. 

The two of them had stopped in Springfield on their way back from Albany to do a little shopping and have lunch. They were sitting at a small table in a coffee shop, sipping gourmet lattes and sampling some sweet goodies.

"What happened?" He asked, biting into a mocha brownie.

"They're plane was overbooked and they lost their seats, so they decided to rent a car and drive back."

"They're nuts."

"Sky sounded excited. I think it sounds romantic, just the two of them driving across half the country together."

"They'll kill each other."

"They will not."

"At least there are plenty of wooded areas in Ohio and Pennsylvania where bodies can be hidden."

"That's not funny, Tristan."

He grinned at her, "I thought it was. So, I guess this means we get another night alone."

"Except for your parents."

"Oh, I don't know," he reached across the table and laced his fingers through hers. "We could get in the car, turn left, and go until we find a nice little inn in New Hampshire."

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh yeah."

Cady grinned at, "Then let's do it."

* * *

"Where are we?" Sky mumbled, as she opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. 

"Somewhere in Ohio, near the Pennsylvania border."

"How much further?"

"I thought we could make it to Pennsylvania and find some place to stay."

She pulled the lever that brought her seat upright, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"That's okay, your snoring is music to my ears."

"I don't snore."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't."

"Okay, if you don't think you do, then you don't, even though you do."

Sky looked at him, trying to figure out what he had just said. "Whatever. When are you going to let me drive?"

"Later," he replied, pressing on the gas and bringing the new Mustang up to just past 80.

"That's what you said before," she whined. "You said once we got out of Indiana, I could drive."

"When we get into Pennsylvania, past Pittsburgh, you can drive."

"I better."

"I promise," he vowed.

"I wonder how Figment's doing?"

"I bet she's curled up on the floor with Greedo, sound asleep."

"He better be nice to her."

Erik chuckled.

"What? He can be one mean dog, I swear my father isn't training him at all. He takes her toys and snaps at her when she tries to take them back. Poor Figment, I should call and see how she is."

"Sky…"

"Figment is so passive, she won't fight him back."

"Figment is _not_ passive and she gives as good as she gets."

"Don't stand up for that little thug," Sky gasped.

"Is this what it's going to be like when we have kids?"

"What do you mean?"

"Figment is fine, your parents are taking good care of her."

"Are you going to be this flippant with our children?"

"She's a dog, Schuyler, and I trust your parents."

"I trust my parents, I just don't trust their bully of a dog."

Erik sighed, "She's fine."

"What time is it on Arus?"

He quietly did the math, "Uh, its 2 am tomorrow morning."

"So I can call in four hours, Dad'll be up."

"How many kids do you want to have?"

Sky chewed on her lower lip. They had often mentioned the fact that they had planned to have a family some day, but they had never really discussed it. "Three."

"Three?"

"Yeah. The first one when I'm twenty-five, the second at twenty-seven, and the third at twenty-nine."

"You have this all planned out, huh?"

"I want to have all my kids before I'm thirty."

"Why?"

"I don't want to be an older mother," she explained. "I mean, think about it. Uncle Keith was thirty-nine when Nicky was born, by the time he finishes school, Keith will be almost sixty."

"Do I get a say in this?"

"Of course you do. Why? How many kids do you want?"

"I always pictured us having just one."

Sky shook her head, "I always wanted a brother or sister. I mean, I had Cady and the others, but it just wasn't the same. I was always jealous of what they had."

"Okay, then two."

"Or three."

"We'll see."

"We have plenty of time."

He nodded, "And we can get plenty of practice making the babies."

Sky rolled her eyes, "Glad to see you're keeping this all in perspective."

"Of course. Welcome to Pennsylvania, Sunny."

"Can I drive now?"

"We're making good time, I don't want to stop."

"You are such a jerk."

"There's an atlas in the pocket behind my seat, get it out and navigate for me, will you?"

She reached back and tugged the book out, laying it on her lap and turning on the overhead lamp, "What am I looking for?"

"Zelienople, Pennsylvania," he told her. "It should be about half an hour north of Pittsburgh."

Sky studied the map a moment, "Okay, found it. What's there?"

"I heard it might be a nice place to stay."

She looked at him, suspiciously, "What do you have planned?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't know anything about Pennsylvania, how do you know about this town?"

"I was talking to the guy at the rental car counter and he was from Pittsburgh. When I told him where we were going and that we were going to stop somewhere he told me about Zelienople." Erik reached into the breast pocket of his shirt and handed her a slip of paper with the town name scrawled across the top and what looked like directions beneath it. "See?"

"Well, that was nice of him."

"Yeah, he said that it was where he and his wife spent their wedding night before driving up to Niagara Falls."

"So, it's romantic, huh?"

"That's what I hear."

Just over half an hour later, Erik pulled the silver Mustang into the small parking lot beside an old stone mansion. The sign in the front had read, 'The Hideaway Bed & Breakfast'.

"You can't just walk into someplace like this and expect there to be a room," Sky said.

"I don't know about you," Erik replied, unbuckling his seatbelt. "But I am starving. If we can get a room here, we can drop off our stuff and go find somewhere to eat."

She laid a hand on her stomach, "Okay, sounds good to me."

"Stay here, I'll come help you with the bags if there's a room."

"All right, but I get to drive to the restaurant."

"Deal."

Sky sat back and looked around. The house was huge with a wrap around porch and two towers. The porch was outlined with strings of small white lights that were lit against the sunset sky. She couldn't see any other houses in the area, the backyard was largely dominated by a flower garden with a rose covered arbor and a gazebo. It was beautiful.

Erik jogged down the steps and yanked open her door, pulling her from her reverie.

"We're in luck, Sunny, they had a room available."

"Good. This place is beautiful."

"Aren't you glad we lost our seats on the plane?"

She kissed his cheek, "Yeah, I am. This has been a lot of fun."

Erik pulled their bags out of the back and led her up the steps. "We're in room twelve on the second floor."

Sky followed him through the small lobby where a middle aged woman sat behind the desk. She smiled sweetly as they walked by and up the wide, carpeted staircase. The hallway was narrow and lit by small lights in sconces hanging on the walls. Her feet sank into the thick carpeting as he stopped in front of a dark wood door with a brass number 12 hanging on it.

"Oh my," Sky gasped when Erik opened the door and stepped aside so she could walk in.

A king sized bed dominated the room. Made of heavy wood, it was a canopy bed with thick maroon drapes tied to the poles. Two small lamps sat on antique bedside tables and a door leading to the bathroom was to the left of the bed. On the wall to the right was a fireplace with a fire already roaring inside. Vases of fresh flowers sat on either end of the mantel and a painting of an autumn countryside hung above it. An antique desk and dresser were to the left of the door with a small television sitting on top of the dresser. A small table and two wing chairs sat between two windows framed in curtains that matched the drapes on the bed on the wall opposite the fireplace. On top of the table was a small meal set out.

Sky walked slowly into the room, her eyes wide as she was surrounded by the warmth and intimacy of the room. Upon closer inspection she saw rose petals sprinkled across the down filled duvet. She turned slowly and looked at Erik. He had closed the door and was leaning against it, his arms crossed over his chest, a small smile on his lips.

"You planned all this," she whispered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said simply.

She stepped closer to him, "We didn't lose our seats on the plane, did we?"

Erik smiled in response.

"You had this planned all along, didn't you?"

He took her hands and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. "I got to thinking about it when you were talking about getting some time off alone."

She tilted her head back and smiled at him, "So you did do all this on purpose?"

"Well, our anniversary is coming up soon and since we took this vacation, I can't imagine that we'd be able to get more time off next month. So I thought we could celebrate a little early."

"How did I get so lucky?" She whispered. "You amaze me."

"I love you."

"I love you, too," she kissed him tenderly.

"Come on," he took her hand. "I _am_ starving."

"I didn't think bed and breakfasts served dinner."

"If you place an order, this place will pack you a picnic lunch, when I explained that we would be coming in late and that this was our first anniversary, they said they would see what they could do for us."

Sky felt silly as tears pricked her eyes. _He is too much, this is too much. What did I ever do to deserve this? To deserve him._ Before she knew what she was doing, she whirled around and threw herself at him.

Caught off guard, Erik stumbled back against the wall. He quickly regained his balance and deepened the kiss, caressing her tongue with his own. His hands rested on her hips, but quickly slid down to cup her buttocks as he lifted her off the ground and her legs wrapped around his waist. The meal was forgotten as they moved awkwardly across the room and landed in a heap on the bed.

Sky giggled as he broke the kiss.

"Something funny?" He asked huskily as he lifted his head.

"Not funny," she replied. "Very, very happy."

"Me too." He pushed her jacket off her shoulders and threw it aside. "You make me happy, my Sky."

With her heart racing, Sky grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him on top of her, pressing her lips to his in a kiss full if urgency and emotion. His fingers slipped beneath her sweater, gently stroking her sides. She moved her hands between them, tugging at his buttons until she felt his heated flesh under her hands. Pushing the shirt off his shoulders, Sky pulled it off his arms and tossed it aside before rolling over and reversing their positions. She straddled his hips and sat up, looking at him through heavy lidded eyes.

His thick, dark blonde hair was mussed from her hands, his lips red and swollen, and his cheeks flushed. She ran her hands over his chest, feeling the feathery soft hair that covered his pecs and trailed down his stomach to disappear beneath the waistband of his jeans. He was so handsome. She licked her lips and raised a hand to push her hair behind her ear. "I love you."

He sat up, grabbing the hem of her sweater, pulling it over her head. "Less talk, more making out," he mumbled, kissing her hard.

* * *

Sky laid on her back and stared at the wooden frame of the canopy above them. She concentrated on catching her breath. "Wow."

Erik was sprawled beside her, also trying to regain his composure. "Yeah, wow. That was…"

"Amazing?"

He rolled onto his side and smiled down at her, "Yeah, amazing."

She shifted her gaze to his and grinned, "Wanna another go?"

"Geez, Sunny, I need some down time here to recuperate. You wear me out."

"You sound like you need some nourishment."

"I think you're right."

Sky looked around and saw his shirt hanging where she had thrown it, over the headboard. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and buttoned it up, loving the feel of the soft cotton against her skin and the scent of his soap. Swinging her legs over the side of the massive bed, she padded over to the small table and looked at what was set out for them.

Erik piled all the pillows against the headboard and sat back, watching her. His shirt came to mid thigh and she had left the top three buttons undone. She made his mouth water more than the food ever could.

Sky returned to the bed and sat down, tucking her legs under her, "This looks great."

The plates were filled with cold, homemade fried chicken, biscuits, and mashed potatoes.

"Good, strength building food," he quipped, grabbing a chicken breast off his plate.

"Do you think it was hot when we got here?"

"Don't care," Erik mumbled around a mouthful. "What's to drink?"

"It's on the table."

He looked at her with doe eyes, "But I'm not wearing anything under this blanket."

Grumbling good naturedly, Sky retrieved the bottle of sparkling grape juice and glasses from the table. "Is that dessert?" She asked, pointing to the remaining dish, a small, covered, silverplate.

"Probably, but you have to eat your dinner first, young lady," Erik said, uncorking the bottle. He handed her a filled glass and gently tapped his against hers, "To us."

She grinned, settling beside him, leaning back against the pillows. "To us."

They ate in silence a few moments, stealing little glances at each other.

"I can't believe you found this place," Sky said, looking around, picking up a stray rose petal. "Wait until I tell Cady about this."

"Trying to make her jealous?"

She leaned over and kissed him, "Of course. I have to rub in the fact that my boyfriend is more romantic than hers."

"Oh yeah? You compare boyfriends?"

"Yup, and you are always winning."

"Really?"

"You are in my little world."

Erik grinned, "I think I would like to visit your little world some day."

"The sky is purple, the grass is blue and there are unicorns."

"Really? I wouldn't have put unicorns in your world."

Sky shrugged, "I like unicorns."

"What color is the water?"

"Very light yellow."

"Your world sounds odd."

"Fine, you're not invited."

"Fine, you can't drive the Mustang tomorrow."

Sky gasped, sitting up on her knees, "You promised!"

Erik winked at her, "You have to be a good girl and show me you deserve that privilege."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Well, what we just did a little while ago, that was not something a good girl would do."

He slid his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on. Standing, he turned to face her and gathered up their plates. "Thank goodness you're not a good girl."

Sky rolled her eyes and sipped her juice, "You're a bad influence on me, Erik Johansson."

"Hell yeah," he set the plates on the table and picked up the covered plate. "Ready for dessert?"

"Always."

"I spoke to Mrs. O'Neill, she and her husband run this place, and I when I asked her if she could make one of their picnic lunches for dinner, I asked her about dessert." He settled back on the bed beside her. "I explained to her that the beautiful woman I was bringing with me had an insatiable sweet tooth and was there anything she could do about it, especially if there was anything with peanut butter. Well, Mrs. O'Neill is a sweet woman. You know, her husband bought her this place as a twenty-fifth anniversary present, running a B&B had always been her dream, so she has a soft spot for anniversaries and young love."

"And?"

"And," Erik pulled the cover off. "Let's see what she came up with."

Sky lowered her gaze to the plate. It took her a moment to realize what it was and she fell over on her side, laughing so hard she couldn't speak.

"Now keep in mind that I had spoken with Mrs. O'Neill last night, so she didn't have a lot of time to come up with much."

She sat up, "I love you, Erik, and I love that you did this."

He looked down at the carefully piled chocolate peanut butter cups and picked the top one off, offering it to her lips, "For you."

Giggling softly, Sky opened her mouth and gently bit into the candy. Erik popped the rest of it into his mouth. She looked down at the plate, there had to be a dozen peanut butter cups neatly piled in a pyramid shape. Picking up another one, she noticed something else, something underneath the candy.

"Erik, what's that?"

"What?"

"That?"

He pushed aside the candy and pulled out what a deep maroon velvet box. "It's your present."

"You didn't have to do anything else, this has been amazing, I don't know what to say. You…" Sky stopped when he pressed a finger to her lips.

"Schuyler, I have a question to ask you."

Her eyes widened and she swallowed hard.

"I was going to try and come up with some romantic way to do this, some poetry or something. But I couldn't come up with anything that didn't sound cheesy or silly. You know I love you, Sunny. You know you mean more to me than anything else in the world. I don't know how else to say it other than I love you, will you marry me?" He flipped open the box and held it out for her to see.

She looked down at the ring, an oval cut ruby with two smaller oval cut diamonds on either side set in gold.

"I was going to get you the traditional diamond, but then I saw this ring and it made me think of you. I wanted to give you something uniquely you."

She raised her gaze to him, "Erik…"

"Before you give me an answer, I think you should know that I had to agree to a few conditions before I proposed to you. I spoke to your father, we had a long talk actually, and I had to promise that if you agreed to marry me, we would wait at least two years, he wants you to finish school first. So, will you accept this ring and marry me…in a couple of years?"

Sky pursed her lips, trying to stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She looked back at the ring as she tried to figure out how to respond. Finally, in true Collier style, she went with the smartass reply.

"And to think I just got you a PlayStation game for our anniversary."

"Schuyler," he growled.

She sighed dramatically, "I guess I _have_ to marry you. I don't want you to have to have that tattoo lasered off your butt."

"Really?" He grinned.

"Yes!" She kissed him. "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

Erik cupped the back of her head and kissed her as deeply, as tenderly as he could. Sky wound her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer as they fell back on the bed.

"Wait, hold on a sec," Erik broke the kiss.

"What?" She looked at him, bewildered.

He picked up the plate of candy and set it on the bedside tale. He then pulled the ring from the box, leaving the box on the table. "I have something I have to do first."

Sky smiled and held her left hand out to him.

Erik took her hand and gently kissed her fingertips, "I love you, my Sky."

"I love you, Erik."

He slid the ring on third finger of her left hand and kissed her palm.

* * *

Cady stood in front of a store window, studying the display of antiques. Well, the sign said they were antiques, but she only saw junk. 

She and Tristan had found a room in an inn near the ocean. They had checked in just as the sun was setting, casting an ethereal glow over the water. Tristan had found a small café nestled among locally owned storefronts and they had eaten a small meal. Now, as it was getting late, they had decided to take a walk.

"See anything interesting?" Tristan asked.

"There are certainly some interesting things," she mumbled, studying the pink ceramic poodle sitting on a table. "People actually buy this stuff?"

"Sure they do. I'm actually quite partial to the stool in the shape of a turtle."

"Please tell me you're not."

"I think it's kind of cool."

"I see I have all the taste in this relationship."

"Well," he slung his arm around her shoulders. "You did pick me."

"Oh, did I?"

"Yup. You were smitten the first time you saw me."

Cady raised her eyebrows as they started back toward their inn, "And you had choice in the matter?"

"No, I didn't. I mean, come on Cady, you're hot. Any guy you set your sights on is lost."

"So you're telling me that you weren't at all interested in me until I worked my magic on you."

"I thought you were pretty, but then you winked at me and wiggled your butt and, well, I was totally lost."

"I never wiggled my butt," she gasped.

"Sure you did. It's one of those girly wiles that you woman don't even know you do. The way you walk, the way you carry yourself, it makes your butt wiggle, very sexy."

"So if I walked differently, if I didn't _wiggle my butt_ as you put it, then we wouldn't be together today?"

"Probably not."

Cady gasped and elbowed him in the side, "You superficial jerk!"

Tristan laughed and pressed a kiss to her hair, "Oh, Cady, you know I love you. I was hot for your bod the first time I saw you, even before I saw you wiggle your butt."

"Keep this up and you'll never see my butt wiggle again," she grumbled.

"Please don't say that," he pleaded. "If I can't see your butt wiggle, I may as well give up living."

Cady smiled in spite of herself, "So then I hold your life in my hands, huh?"

"You have since the moment I met you."

She smiled softly and slid her arm around his waist, "When we're old and I lose my looks and my butt jiggles instead of wiggles, will you still love me?"

Tristan stopped and turned to face her. "You know I was kidding, right?"

"I know, I just…"

"Cady, I love you because you're sweet and smart and kind and funny. Your beauty is more than just physical, it is so much deeper, so much more."

She smiled and kissed him, "I just wanted to hear your answer."

He turned and took her hand, starting their walk back to the inn again. "I mean your physical beauty and butt wiggles are just the icing on the cake."

"Tristan."

"Don't worry, by the time your butt starts jiggling, mine will be too."

"I'm sure by then I'll have traded you in for a younger model," she told him haughtily.

He held open the door for her as they entered the bright warmth of the inn's lobby. "Oh really?"

"Yes," she lowered her voice. "So you better take advantage of this hot body while you can."

Tristan looked at her, surprised. For all their playful flirting, he was still not used to her outright teasing. "Why, your highness, you're downright naughty."

"You seem to have that affect on me, Lieutenant."

Without another word, Tristan pulled her up the steps and to their room.

* * *

Sky sighed contentedly. She was lying on the massive canopy bed, her eyes half closed, as Erik lay with her. His arms were wrapped securely around her waist and his head lay pillowed on her chest, his warm breath caressing her skin as he slept. She combed her fingers gently through his hair, feeling relaxed, loved, and just a little giddy. 

She lifted her left hand and studied the ring, her heart racing. She was still in shock that he had proposed. They were engaged. He was her fiancé. A quiet, excited giggle escaped her lips. Sky had known that they would someday marry, but now that it was actually going to happen, it seemed a little unreal to her.So what if they had to wait two years. What's two years when they were going to spend their lives together?

Sky felt the weight shift off her chest as Erik lifted his head. He had been watching her as she looked at her ring, a silly smile on her face.

"What's on your mind, Sunny?" He whispered hoarsely.

"When did you talk to my dad about this?"

Erik unwrapped his arms from her and stretched out beside her, resting his head on his fist. "A couple of weeks ago. You and Cady went shopping, so I went to your parent's house and spoke to your father. We sat on the porch and talked for over two hours."

"What about?"

"My intentions, the future I saw for us. I think he was testing me to make sure I really meant this, that it wasn't some childish daydream, that I really wanted to marry you, make a life with you, take care of you."

She giggled, "_Take care of me?_"

"Yeah, take care of you. I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself, so don't get all defensive on me. I'm saying that I _want_ to take care of you. I want to be there for you and with you, forever."

Sky kissed him, "I wasn't getting defensive, I think it's sweet."

Erik pulled her to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her, "I still feel like I have a lot to prove to your father."

She smiled and settled her cheek against his chest, "Don't take it personally, hon, but you are always going to feel that way with my father. He's a little protective of me."

"A little?"

"Too bad we have to wait two years."

"Why the hurry, Sunny?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, I would just like to have it done, have it official."

"Well, we could always go to Vegas and stand before an Elvis impersonator."

"Okay, let's do it."

"I was kidding, Sky."

She lifted her head and looked down at him, "I'm not. Let's do it."

"Because you'd regret it later."

"I would never regret marrying you."

Erik lifted his head and gave her a quick kiss, "I know that. I mean you would regret getting married that way. Can you honestly tell me that you don't want your parents there? You don't want your dad to walk you down the aisle? You don't want Cady standing with you as your Maid of Honor?"

"True, but I would like to be married by an Elvis impersonator."

"Well, we have a couple of years to hire one."

"Will we get married on Arus or Pollux?"

"We have time to figure that out later."

Sky laid her hand on his chest, examining her ring, "You know, I never really wore jewelry before we started dating."

"That's good, I don't want you wearing jewelry from anyone else."

"Cady is going to be so jealous."

He smirked, "That's just an added bonus."


	11. Once Upon A Time

"Hey, Sami, how's it going?"

Samantha Sparks looked up from her computer screen to see Randy Hork, her favorite photographer, leaning against the short wall of her cubicle. "Hey Randy, any good pics today?"

"I got a great shot of some kids playing the snow."

"There was barely a dusting."

"Come on, it doesn't need to stick on the ground, as long as it's snowing there will be kids out playing. What are you working on?"

"I was hoping to speak with the Arusian princess, she's visiting Terra for a few weeks with friends. I was working on the allegations Vinn made against the Arusian royal family."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I know she's staying with Vince Alexander's family, you know, the attorney. I'm pretty sure she's involved with his son, Tristan. I tracked them down to the family's home on Cape Cod, but, well, her boyfriend wasn't very polite."

"What are you going to do?" He asked, snatching an m&m from the small dish she kept by her monitor.

"I was put on another story. Did you know that Tristan Alexander is really good friends with Owen McIntyre?"

"Judge McIntyre's son?"

"Yeah, his fiancée, Colleen, was murdered last year. It's coming up on the anniversary of that."

"How do you remember that?"

She looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"With all the murders and deaths that go on here, I can't believe how you can remember that."

"It was the first murder I ever covered. I'll never forget," she shuddered. "The poor girl was slaughtered."

Randy shook his head, "You still don't have the 'hard reporter crust' yet."

"Hey, I'm a good reporter."

"You are. Just remember, Sami, you can't take it all to heart, it will break you."

"I know."

"All right, well, I'm being sent down to the courthouse. They're letting out soon and I'm supposed to try and shoot that jerk who's up for embezzling."

"Good luck, Randy."

"You too," he patted her head and turned toward the photog room.

Samantha turned back to the screen, reading through the stories she had written about Colleen Warren's death, funeral, and the resulting investigation. With the lack of evidence and no arrests made, the story had fallen to the wayside. She had come up with the idea of doing a 'look back, one year later' story on the murder. When her attempt to interview Princess Cadence had fallen through the Vinn trial story had been passed on to another reporter and she had decided to throw herself into the retrospective. She had happened upon an old picture taken at Colleen's funeral. Owen McIntyre stood behind Colleen's parents, his own family surrounding him, and just over his shoulder was Tristan Alexander.

Glancing down at the notepad beside her keyboard, Samantha jotted down a note about trying to call Tristan about Owen and Colleen. There was already a list of people to call and she was still waiting for the detective who had investigated the case to return her call.

When the murder had happened, there had been speculation that it had been committed by the so-called 'Fairy Tale Killer'. A serial murderer who had been terrorizing Eastern Massachusetts for nearly three years, he would brutally murder his victims, slaughtering them to the point of being unrecognizable and then leaving a page from a Grimm's Fairy Tale book clutched in the victim's hand.

The only difference between the Fairy Tale Killer's m.o. and what happened to Colleen was that she was not holding the page, leaving the police to believe she was killed by a copycat killer. Her murder was left unsolved while the Fairy Tale Killer was still on the loose, but, if he had nothing to do with Colleen's death, he had not committed a crime in two years.

Now it was up to Samantha to convince her editor to allow her to do this story. With the number of crimes and murders that take place in the city, it was not feasible to concentrate on each one separately. But if she could get some more information, show him that there was real evidence that Colleen's murder had been committed by the Fairy Tale Killer, then she could bring it back to the forefront.

"Hi, Samantha, how are you?"

She looked up and swallowed a groan when she saw Mitch Larkin standing beside her desk. Mitch was a senior reporter and had stolen the Vinn trial out from under her. When she had failed to get the interview with Cady, he convinced their editor she was too inexperienced for such a huge story.

"Hello, Mitch, I'm doing fine. How are you?"

"Great, great. I was able to set up an interview with Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, the couple the Arusian princess is staying with. What story are you working on? The street construction on Beacon?"

"No, I believe Jane is working on that."

"Well, I appreciate your help with the Vinn trial. Your list of numbers will be very helpful."

"Anytime," she mumbled, gritting her teeth and glaring at her computer monitor.

Mitch patted her shoulder, "You're a good kid, Samantha, I'm sure your big story is just around the corner."

* * *

Cady and Tristan were sitting in the den watching a movie when they heard the front door open.

"They're back," Cady squealed, jumping to her feet.

Tristan followed her into the foyer where Sky and Erik were handing their bags to Henry. "Welcome back, guys. How was the drive?"

"Oh, it was great," Sky gushed, waving her left hand around.

Cady watched her friend, confused by her behavior, "Um, are you okay?"

"Me?" Sky asked, bring her left hand up to rest against her cheek. "I'm fine."

"What did you do to her?" Tristan whispered to Erik.

"I'm not allowed to tell you, you have to figure it out yourself," Erik whispered back.

"So, uh, where did you stay last night?" The Princess asked as they walked back to the den.

"It was the greatest Bed and Breakfast called 'The Hideaway," Sky explained, gesturing wildly, waving her left hand around.

Tristan caught on and leaned forward, whispering in Cady's ear. Her eyes widened and she grabbed Sky's hand.

"Oh my goodness! Sky is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, it is!" Red's pilot squealed.

Erik and Tristan watched as their girlfriends spoke quickly and in voices three octaves higher than normal.

"You're making me look bad," Tristan said.

Erik shrugged, "What can I say, I'm a more romantic boyfriend."

"Yeah right," he snorted.

"I am, just ask Sky. Apparently, she and Cady are always comparing boyfriends and I win."

"Sky told you that?"

"Yes."

"You realize, don't you, that she's a little biased?"

"Nope, I'm the best."

Tristan looked over to were Cady and Sky were sitting on the couch. His girlfriend examining the ring while Sky spoke animatedly. "Have you told your parents yet?"

"Not yet. We'll probably call them tonight. Sky's parents knew it was coming since I asked Lance for his permission."

"Have you decided when the big day is going to be?"

"We're waiting two years."

"Why?"

"I promised Lance we would wait until she finished school before we got married."

Tristan shook his head, "I can't believe you're even talking about marriage."

"Haven't you?"

"I guess I've had a passing thoughtabout it, but I don't think I'm quite ready."

"Well, you and Cady have only been together a few months. Give it some time."

Tristan looked over and caught Cady staring at him, she blushed and looked back at her friend. "I don't know if she's going to be able to wait now that you went and proposed to Sky."

Erik chuckled, "Just wait until you have to talk to Keith about marrying Cady."

"I was thinking, maybe, of going through the Queen. I figured having her on my side would make it all a little easier."

"So you have been thinking about it."

Tristan sighed, "Of course I have. A lot. It's that Arusian magic. The first time I saw her I was thinking about it."

"So, maybe we'll have a double wedding?"

"Maybe."

"Tristan, darling," Josie Alexander appeared in the doorway of the den. "Can I speak with you, please?"

"Of course, Mother," he followed her into the hallway.

"Darling, a reporter called your father's office this morning."

Tristan felt his body tense.

"He wants to talk to your father and I about Cady visiting. Your father thinks we should speak with her first, see if there is anything we should not comment on."

"Everything," he said stiffly. "You tell them you have no comment on everything. We're trying to distance ourselves from the media."

"I understand, Tristan, but do you have any idea how it appears when we dismiss the media like that?"

"I don't care how it looks, Mother."

"Of course you don't, you no longer live here. We have appearances to keep up, Tristan, if our name is mentioned in the paper, we had better be able to back it up. Your father's name is well known, if it's mentioned in the paper, we can't allow it to be negative publicity."

He gritted his teeth, "Mother, we cannot comment on the case, it hasn't gone to trial yet, Dad knows that."

"I know that, but what would be the harm in talking about you and Cady? We are so proud of you and she is such a lovely girl, we are so glad she is part of our family now."

"Mother," Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "We had hoped to have a nice, quiet vacation, not in the limelight. We would appreciate it if you didn't comment on us."

"I promise we won't discuss anything personal or embarrassing, it'll be fun."

"Okay, Mother, whatever," he sighed, knowing he was getting nowhere with her. "We're leaving tomorrow for New York."

"Oh, but darling, you've been on Terra for two weeks and we've hardly seen you and now you're leaving again?"

"You know we have to be there for the trial. I can't believe it will be that long. We're hoping to bring her parents here so you can meet."

Josie smoothed her hand over her hair, "Oh really? The Queen here? When do you think they would be arriving? We should plan another dinner party."

"No, I was actually thinking the six of us could just go out to dinner. No party, no press, nothing."

She waved her hand dismissively, "We'll discuss this when you come back."

Tristan closed his eyes and gave a silent thanks that they would be returning to Arus before long. He returned to the den to find his girlfriend sitting on the edge of the coffee table, facing her friends, talking animatedly.

"Tristan," Cady grinned at him as he entered. "Don't you think they should wait and tell Aunt Romelle and Uncle Sven in person rather than call them?"

"When are they arriving?" Tristan asked, sinking into the arm chair by the window.

"They're leaving Pollux tomorrow morning, they should arrive in New York the day after tomorrow," Erik told him.

"Tell them in person."

"I don't know if I can wait that long," Sky said excitedly.

Erik rolled his eyes, "I think you can try."

"Can we call my parents?"

"Yeah, we'll call in two hours, they should be home from work by then."

Sky clapped her hands together, "Oh, I can't wait!"

"When are we leaving tomorrow?" Cady asked, changing the subject.

"I was thinking first thing in the morning," Tristan said.

Erik looked at him, "Why so early? I thought we were leaving early afternoon."

He shrugged, "I just want to get on the road early."

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Sky said, stretching her arms above her head and then out in front of her so she could see the ring. "But I am just so glad to be in one spot tonight."

"Me too," Cady agreed. "Let's just stay in tonight."

"Sounds good to me," Tristan said. "We can order in. There are menus in the kitchen."

The four of them made their way into the large kitchen. Tristan pulled open a drawer in the island that sat in the center of the room and produced several takeout menus.

"What are you guys in the mood for?" He asked, spreading the menus out in front of them.

Cady picked one up, "Chinese?"

"Sounds good to me," Sky said, leaning back against Erik.

Tristan flipped on the small television that occupied the corner of the counter, "Yeah, I could do Chinese."

"Want to share?" Sky asked Erik.

He looked over her shoulder and studied the menu, "I don't know. Are you in a shrimp lo mein mood?"

She wrinkled her nose, "Okay, maybe we shouldn't share."

Cady laid a hand on her flat stomach, "I have been so bad this week, I think I'm just going to get the grilled vegetables."

Sky rolled her eyes, "Oh, stop it, Cady, you are incapable of putting weight on."

"I have had my share of cheesecake this week."

"Ah, your ultimate weakness."

"Yes, and Tristan has learned to use that to his advantage, right hon?" When he didn't respond, Cady looked up to see him engrossed in whatever was on the television. She walked over to see what it was.

A reporter sat behind the desk with a box over her shoulder that read 'Breaking News'.

"And to recap our breaking news, the police are saying that the Fairy Tale Killer has struck again. A woman was found brutally murdered and clutched in her hand was the title page to 'Little Briar Rose' from a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales. Her body was found in Boston Common, hidden in the brush, by a man walking his dog. Police say she was killed somewhere else and her body left in the Common. Her identity will not be released until her next of kin has been notified. If any of you have any information on this latest murder, please call Boston City Police…"

With an angry sigh, Tristan shut off the television.

"What is it?" Cady asked quietly.

"The Fairy Tale Killer has been terrorizing this area for years. At first, they believed that's who killed Colleen, but his m.o. was that after he kills the woman, he leaves the title page of a fairy tale in her hand. There was no page with Colleen." He explained.

"Who's Colleen?" Erik asked.

Tristan filled him and Sky in on the whole sad story of Owen and Colleen. He finished by explaining the Fairy Tale Killer to them and how, if he hadn't killed Colleen, this was his first murder in two years.

"How many has he killed?" Sky asked.

He hesitated a moment, trying to remember. "I believe this will be his fourth, not counting Colleen. A woman with hair down to her ankles was the 'Rapunzel', a maid for a wealthy family was the 'Cinderella' murder, a redheaded woman was 'Little Red-Cap' or 'Little Red Riding Hood', and this woman was 'Little Briar Rose,' which I think is 'Sleeping Beauty'. If he did kill Colleen, with her black hair and fair skin, she would probably have been 'Snow White'."

"That's awful," Cady gasped.

Tristan turned to her, "Promise me that as long as we're here, you won't go out alone."

"Okay, I promise."

"You too," Erik said to Sky.

"Erik…"

"Don't argue with me, Schuyler, it will put me at ease to know you're not out there alone."

"I'll be glad when we're out of here," Tristan muttered.

"Poor Owen," Cady sighed.

"Yeah, having this happen will be like opening the wound all over again."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sky asked quietly.

Tristan shrugged, "I'll give him a call later, see how he's doing."

Cady slid her arm around his waist and gave him a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Come on," Tristan cleared his throat. "I'm hungry, let's order something."

* * *

"Hey, how's Owen doing?" Cady asked as Tristan entered her room. She had just finished putting her things together for their next trip and was about to get ready for bed when he knocked on her door.

"He's all right, or rather he says he is."

"What did he have to say?"

"Not much. I don't think he wants to talk right now. So I told him to give me a call if he needed to."

She crossed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest, "You're a good friend."

He wrapped his arms around her, "You ready to leave in the morning?"

"Yeah. After the trial, can we just stay in the house for two days, not drive anywhere."

Tristan smiled softly, "Sure."

She tilted her head back, "What is it, hon?"

"I just…well, I think of what Owen has gone through and I am so glad I have you here with me right now."

Cady raised herself up on her toes and kissed him, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I meant what I said earlier. I don't want you out alone or without one of us along as your guard."

"I know, don't worry, I won't."

He brought his hand up to brush back her golden curls and cup her cheek, "Cady, I would like to stay with you tonight."

She smiled, "I'd like that too."

"I'm not trying to take advantage of you, I just want to be with you."

"You can take advantage of me if you want."

Tristan smiled softly and kissed her, "I'll keep that in mind." He stepped out of her embrace, "I'll be back."

Fifteen minutes later, there was a soft knock on her door. "Come in," Cady called quietly.

Tristan opened the door and slid in. He wore green pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt that clung to every muscle in his torso.

She set aside the magazine she was flipping through and smiled softly, "Hi."

"Hey there," he pulled back the quilt and slid in beside her. Wordlessly, he pulled her to him and curved his body to spoon with her.

Cady gently rubbed her hand over the arm he had wrapped around her waist, "Are you okay?"

"I am now," he whispered, his breath ruffling her hair.

Cady felt safe and content in his arms. She allowed her imagination to wander, to think of what it would be like to fall asleep every night with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Tristan listened as her breathing slowed and she fell into a deep slumber. He was ready for this vacation to be over, to have the trial ended and to not have to worry about Cady being alone outside the house. At this moment, he longed for the safe monotony they had on Arus.

"I love you," he whispered. "And I promise to keep you safe."

She sighed quietly in her sleep.

* * *

"Let's check in first and go grab some lunch," Tristan said as he pulled his car into a parking garage.

"Sounds good to me," Erik said.

Cady checked her watch, "My parents are due here in about five hours."

"We can get a little shopping in," Sky whispered.

"Sounds good to me," Cady whispered back.

Erik and Tristan glanced at each other and groaned.

"Oh come on," Cady chided. "You had to know we would want to shop. They have the best stores here."

"Just keep in mind," Tristan said after he handed the keys over to an attendant. "Anything that doesn't fit in the ship I get to throw away."

"We can mail anything that doesn't fit ."

Erik snorted as he pulled a couple of their bags out of the back of the car. "And who is going to pay for that postage?"

Cady whirled around and grabbed Tristan's shoulders, pulling him close, she pressed her lips to his in a hot kiss.

Erik and Sky glanced at each other, both a little shocked at the open display of affection.

"I, uh, I guess I would be paying," Tristan said, a little bewildered.

* * *

He studied the picture in the newspaper. It showed four people. Four beautiful people. The Princess leaving with her boyfriend and her friends, they all held bags, ready to go away on what was undoubtedly a fun trip. The story said something about some trial, he didn't care what it was about.

He licked his lips as his brain formulated a plan. All of the Fairy Tales talked about Princes and Princesses. To actually kill royalty would seal his place in history. It would start an interplanetary outcry.

He wasn't stupid, he knew his time was running out. With the new forensic sciences and the higher police presence, it was getting more difficult for him to continue with his 'hobby'.

No, it wasn't becoming more difficult, he was just getting tired. He wanted his name known, like David Berkowitz or Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer. Everyone knows their names and they were all over the media, they went down in history. They were famous. Now that he was getting tired, he was ready to retire, readyfor his infamy. He was ready for everyone to know his name.

"Brian! Come on, what's the hold up?"

He looked up and grinned as his friend, Gary, jogged over to him. He quickly tossed the paper in the trashcan and stood, "What do you mean 'What's the hold up'? You're the one holding me up, you jerk."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Gary grumbled looking around. "Can you believe they found that woman's body over there? Geez, that was unbelievable."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Brian bit his lip to keep from grinning. Yeah, someday, someday soon, everybody would know the name Brian Sebold.


	12. Arriving In Town

Hi all!  
Sorry for the delay, but you know how life can get in the way.

It kind of surprises me that a few of you thought Brian was a friend. He isn't. I even went back and read through the other chapters, Tristan's male friends that you have met are Owen, John, and Ian. You have not seen the last of Brian, you are just going to have to hang on and see what happens.

Thank you all for the awesome reviews! I really appreciate and enjoy them! You guys are awesome!

Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

"Mom! Dad!" Cady squealed, running to meet her parents. 

Allura rushed past Keith and hugged her daughter, "Cady! It's so good to see you, sweetie. Oh, I just love what you did with your hair! How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you? How was the trip? I am so glad you're here." Cady gushed, hugging her mother before turning to her father.

"It was long," Allura said, turning to the others. "But nice. Sky, Erik, I hear congratulations are in order."

"Yes," Sky grinned.

"Well, let me see it," The Arusian Queen demanded, holding out her hand. "Oh, it's beautiful!"

"Thank you."

"I guess Uncle Lance and Aunt Darcy told you then?" Erik asked.

"Well, it was up to Becca and I to ply your mother with ice cream and shoulders to cry on," Allura explained.

"She was crying?" Sky asked.

"A good crying. Her baby is engaged, getting married. I guess your father never told her that Erik came to him and it caught her by surprise. Don't worry though, she is very happy about it. Tristan," she turned to her daughter's boyfriend. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Ma'am," he bowed slightly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Oh, enough with the formalities," she opened her arms and gave him a tight squeeze. "It's so good to see you again."

Erik hurried over to help Keith with their luggage. "It's good to see you, sir."

"And you, Erik. How are things going here?"

"Fine. The media hasn't been in touch with us, but they did get in touch with Tristan's parents. You'll have to ask him about that."

"I will. So, you proposed, huh?"

Erik grinned, "Yes, sir, I did."

"Congratulations, son."

"Thank you, Uncle Keith."

"Come on, honey," Allura called over her shoulder. "We want to get to the hotel so we can go sample the food this city is famous for."

Tristan joined Keith and Erik, taking a suitcase in each hand. "Please, let me help sir."

"Thank you, Tristan. I think with the three of us, we can get this all in one trip. How far to the hotel?"

"We'll have to take two cabs, it's a twenty minute trip. But the restaurant we want to take you to is just down the street from the hotel."

"It's been a long trip, it feels good to be on solid ground again."

The three women stood near the exit and waited for them to catch up.

"They could offer to help," Erik grumbled.

Keith sighed and said good naturedly, "Allura and Cady are my fault, they're used to being spoiled and waited on."

"What about Sky?" Tristan asked.

"She has a fiancé now," Keith explained. "He has to wait on her."

"We'll see about that," Erik said.

Keith chuckled with all the knowledge of a man married over two decades, "It's easier to just accept it, Erik."

* * *

"I'm sure your parents will do a fine job with the interview," Allura told Tristan. "They can't tell the reporter anything about the trial, can they?" 

He shook his head, "No. I think my mother is just looking forward to having her name in the paper again."

The six of them were seated around a table in a pizza place three blocks down from their hotel. It was warm, brightly lit, and smelled of spicy meat. They had worked their way through most of the two pizzas set in front of them.

"Have you heard anything from the Garrison about their findings?" Cady asked.

Keith shook his head, "I called the office here and they said the report was done, they said they would deliver a copy to our hotel tomorrow morning."

"Speaking of tomorrow," Allura said. "Erik, honey, when are your parents due in?"

"Tomorrow, midmorning," he replied. "I wish they had gotten an earlier flight, we have to be at the courthouse tomorrow at one for interviews."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Keith assured him. "Your father does like to wait to the last second."

"Assuming their ship arrives on time, we'll have just enough time to drop their stuff off at the hotel, grab a quick lunch and make it to the courthouse."

"How long do you think this trial is going to last?" Sky asked.

Keith shrugged, "We don't know for sure, probably a few weeks, maybe a month. But once we testify, we should be free to go, I don't think the Garrison will call us back. I'm hoping they'll call us all in the first week so we can be done."

"Anyone want the last piece of the three meat pizza?" Erik asked.

Tristan raised an eyebrow, "Arm wrestle you for it."

"Come on guys," Sky interjected. "There's some veggie pizza left."

They both turned and looked at her as though she was a foreign language.

"Oh, right, sorry," she apologized, holding up both hands. "I forgot, you man, you want meat."

"Just don't forget it again," Erik huffed.

"So, once you're married, does that mean Sky has to stay home and skin and cook the animals you kill?" Tristan asked.

"Ideally, but we're still discussing that," Erik explained. "I might give in and let her hunt once in a while."

"That's very generous of you."

"Yeah, I thought so."

"Too bad you're not real bright," Sky muttered.

Her fiancé looked at her, "Excuse me?"

She indicated the round metal tray in front of them, now empty.

"What happened?" Erik asked.

"Well, you were talking about meat and I got hungry, so I took it," Allura said, biting into the slice.

* * *

"So what are your plans this evening?" Allura asked Cady as they walked back to their hotel. 

Cady had hooked her arm through her mother's while her father walked onAllura's otherside. Erik and Sky were walking hand in hand behind them, talking to Tristan. "It's been a long day, I'm hoping to just go back to the hotel and crash. You'll have to come to my room, you have got to see what Sky and I bought today."

"You guys are across the hall from us, right?"

"Yup, and the boys are next door to you."

"Where is Sven and Romelle's room?"

"Erik said they have the room on the other side of yours."

Allura sighed softly, "If only we didn't have to worry about this trial, then we could really have fun. See some shows, do a little shopping."

"We'll be back again, I'm sure," Cady assured her.

"Sure we will," Keith spoke up. "We'll bring all the kids, show them Broadway."

"Tess would love that," Allura said.

"And then you'll have to take them up to Boston," Tristan called from behind them. "I know my parents would love to have you all."

"That sounds like fun."

"Are you guys going to get to see Grandma while you're here?" Cady asked.

"When we're done with the trial," Keith answered. "I don't know how long we'll have with her, that depends on how long we're needed here."

"Erik, sweetie, when are you're grandparents getting here?" Allura asked.

"Tomorrow evening," he responded.

"Even without the trial, we would be having a busy week," Tristan commented.

Sky nodded, "We're going to need a vacation when we get back to Arus to relax from this one."

"Oh, buck up," Keith said. "You're all young."

"Yeah," Cady agreed. "But we have to take you guys and your age into consideration when we make plans now."

"And what is that supposed to mean, young lady?" Her father asked.

Erik, Sky, and Tristan all chimed, "Oohhhhhh."

Cady shrugged, "Nothin', just that you're old and we can't let get too worn out."

"That's it, little girl," Keith warned. "You're disinherited."

She looked at her mother, innocently, "Am I really disinherited, Mom?"

Allura smiled sweetly, "Yes, honey, it looks that way."

"Tristan," Cady looked over her shoulder.

He winked at her, "I got your back, babe."

* * *

Early the next morning, Cady knocked on the door to her parent's room. Allura opened the door and greeted her daughter with a smile. 

"How're you doing this morning?" Cady asked, following her mother into the room.

"Good. A Garrison messenger dropped off the report about twenty minutes ago, your father is reading it now."

"What does it say?"

Keith looked up from his seat at the small table in front of the window, "They found that we did nothing wrong."

Cady looked at the thick, bound book lying on the table, "All of that to tell you you did nothing wrong?"

"They can be rather long winded at the Garrison," he replied.

"Where's Sky?" Allura asked as she twisted her hair up onto her head.

"She's in the shower, she should be ready soon."

"When the guys are ready we can head downstairs and grab some breakfast."

"Have you seen them yet?"

"I saw them," Keith said. "They were down in the hotel's gym when I went to meet the messenger."

Cady sat on the edge of the bed, "So, what does this mean, the report?"

"It means that the Garrison does not believe Vinn's allegations. They have found no proof or even probable cause to investigate it further."

"So, you think the trial will be over quickly?"

He nodded, "I hope so."

Allura went to answer a quick knock at the door. "Good morning, Sky."

"Good morning, Aunt Allura, how are you?"

"I'm great, how're you?"

"Fantastic."

"Fantastic? Really?"

Sky held her left hand up in front of her and studied her ring, "Yes, fantastic."

Allura laughed, "Oh yes, I remember that feeling." She smiled at her husband, "I'm still feeling it, actually."

Cady rolled her eyes, "You've had it for a couple of days now, can you stop flashing it around?"

"When you get your ring," Sky said, sitting beside her. "You'll want to flash it around and I will take it all in stride, so give me this."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Princess mumbled.

"Uncle Keith, is that the report?"

"Yes it is," he tapped the closed cover.

"Well?"

"Well?"

She rolled her eyes, "What does it say?"

"What do you think it says?"

"Uncle Keith, come on."

He smiled, "They couldn't find anything to support Vinn's allegations."

"I knew it," Sky said, vehemently. "His defense doesn't have a leg to stand on, do they?"

"Not that I can tell."

"Good. I want this trial over with."

"I am starving," Cady announced, standing. "I'm going to see if the guys are ready."

"I'll come too," Sky offered.

"If you're not back in three minutes I am coming after you!" Keith called as they left.

Cady knocked sharply on the door to room 318.

Erik yanked the door open, "Don't you see the 'Do Not Disturb' sign?"

Cady cocked an eyebrow, "Just what is going on in there?"

The bathroom door opened and Tristan stepped out wearing a towel around his waist. "Hi girls!" He called as he grabbed a shirt from his suitcase and returned to the bathroom.

"Wow," Cady and Sky whispered.

"Excuse me?" Erik glared at his fiancée.

"What?"

"You just wowed."

"What?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, "You just saw a nearly naked Tristan and you said 'wow'."

"I did not."

"Yes you did."

"Well, you can't blame her," Cady interrupted.

"Go away, Cady," Erik snapped.

Sky smiled sweetly, "I didn't mean it."

He scowled at her, "I can't believe you 'wowed' another man. It makes every wow you ever gave me seem cheap."

She stepped closer and slid her arms under his, "Believe me, you earned every 'wow' I ever gave you. If anything, the 'wow' I just gave Tristan was cheap."

"Hm."

Sky pressed her lips to his and kissed him until his resolve melted and he uncrossed his arms and pulled her close.

Cady cleared her throat, "Come on, guys, it's too early for this."

Erik lifted his head and looked down at his girlfriend, "Okay, I'll forgive you for this one time. But if I ever 'wow' some girl, you can't get angry."

"One 'wow'," Sky agreed. "After that, I get mad."

"Accept it, man," Tristan appeared behind him. "I'm just hotter than you."

Erik snorted, "You wish."

"No, he is," Cady said.

"Oh, I disagree," Sky argued.

"Okay, we can argue this for hours, but I am starving," Cady announced. "Let's go get breakfast. Besides, we all know Tristan is the hotter one."

Sky winked at Erik and mouthed, 'No he's not.'

"I know," he replied, stealing a quick kiss.

* * *

"So, de investigators found noting," Sven said. 

They all sat around the table at a deli where Keith had just explained to everyone what he had read in the report.

"Not a thing," Keith said. "They found that our dungeons went beyond what is required of Garrison approved containment units. The food preparation is exceptional and our medical facility is more than adequate. They also found our police station to be, um…" He flipped through the report. "Clean, well organized, and up-to-date with all current Garrison standards with the officers well trained and coordinated."

"Wow," Romelle whispered. "That sounds great."

"It was the least they could do," Allura huffed. "They weren't exactly pleasant while they were combing over my planet."

"They only did what they had to do," Keith pointed out. "It was about business and clearing our name, they weren't trying to make friends."

"As far as I'm concerned," Cady announced. "This whole trial is just a big waste of time. He is guilty, everyone knows it. So why are we bothering with this?"

"He's hoping for a lighter sentence or they may even plead insanity," Tristan explained.

"Then why doesn't he take a plea bargain?" Erik asked. "We know there was one on the table that would put him away for life, but no death sentence. If we go to trial, there is an even better chance he'll be put to death."

"He's probably hoping to be seen as a martyr," Sven said.

Sky snorted, "Who in their right mind would hold him up as a martyr?"

"That's just it," Keith said. "They wouldn't exactly be in their right mind."

Tristan plucked a pickle chip out of the bowl on the table and popped it in his mouth, "I can't wait to see who the defense has on their witness list. Can you imagine the character witnesses they would find for Vinn?"

"Well, lets see, Lotor and Landor are dead," Allura said, ticking them off on her fingers. "So is Haggar, so we know it's not them."

"Maybe Satan?" Sven suggested.

Keith chuckled, "And I can't imagine him being a very good character witness, he'd be torn apart on the stand."

"What happens if he pleads insanity and is found insane?" Cady asked.

"He'll be locked away ina hospitalfor observation and rehabilitation," Keith explained. "But we don't want that."

"Why?"

"If they find him insane and send him to an institute, in maybe twenty years or so, they might actually rehabilitate him or he might convince him that he was rehabilitated and Vinn might be allowed back into society."

Erik checked his watch, "If everyone is done, we should probably head out. We're due at the courthouse in forty five minutes."

Keith snatched the bill off the table before anyone else could, "I'll take care of this and meet you all outside."

"How far do we have to go?" Romelle asked as they stepped out onto the crowded, noisy sidewalk.

"We'll take a couple of cabs," her son explained. "We should make it in twenty or thirty minutes."

Sky slipped her hand into Erik's. She wouldn't admit it to him, or anyone, but she was feeling nervous about being a witness. And Schuyler Collier was not a nervous person. She faced everything straight on and with her head held high, or at least she thought she did, but right now, she was feeling unsure, nervous, and wary.

He gently squeezed her hand and offered her a reassuring smile.

"So, Sky, what did your parents have to say about your news?" Romelle asked as they waited for Keith.

She and Erik had told his family the news of their engagement when they had all sat down for lunch. Romelle and Sven had been surprised and a little hesitant about giving their support to a union started so young. But after they spoke a while and explained that the two of them were waiting a couple of years, his parents congratulated the couple.

"Well, my dad knew it was coming," Sky explained. "Erik had spoken to him about it. But I guess it caught my mom off guard. Aunt Allura said she was a little upset, crying."

"Oh, I'm sure it was a good kind of crying," Romelle assured her with a smile. "We all knew this was going to happen, I guess we were all just a little surprised that it was happening so soon."

"When are you getting married?" Delora asked.

"We haven't picked a date yet," Sky replied.

"We still have plenty of time," Erik added. "I just wanted to brand Sky as my own."

She looked at him, an eyebrow raised, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"I can't believe you picked out a ring that beautiful," Delora teased. "I never knew you had such good taste."

"Brat," Erik scowled at his younger sister.

"Okay, let's get going," Keith said as he joined them. "We'll need, what? Three cabs?"

"Nah, we can fit into two, we'll just get cozy," Tristan said as he raised his hand to hail a cab. "We'll meet you guys there."

Keith climbed into the front seat with the driver while Allura, Cady, and Tristan slid into the back. Erik hailed another cab and held the door open so Romelle, Delora, Sky, and himself could cram into the backseat while Sven sat in the front.

Erik slid his arm across the back of the seat and shifted, trying to get more comfortable, "When are we going to head to the airport to pick up Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Deir flight is due in at a little after eight," Sven said.

"What are they going to do while we're in court?"

"I am de only von who has to testify, I vas able to get your mother and sister off de vitness list." His father explained. "So dey are going to show your grandparents around."

"We got tickets to a musical," Romelle said. "And we're going to do some shopping. It'll be fun."

"Ve'll meet up vith them vhen ve aren't at de courthouse and hopefully, dis trial won't last long."

"That's for sure," Sky mumbled. "But if you guys don't have to testify, why are you going with us today?"

"They still need us to answer a few questions," Romelle explained. "The head prosecutor told Sven that Delora and I most likely won't have to testify, but he still wants to speak with us."

In the other cab, Tristan was inviting Keith and Allura to visit his family when the trial was over.

"That sounds like fun," Allura said. "I can't wait to meet your parents."

"I hope you don't mind if we just spend one night in Boston," Keith added. "But, depending on how long this trial takes, our time on Terra is quite limited and I promised my mother we'd visit her too."

"Not a problem," Tristan assured him. "They will totally understand."

Allura laid a hand on his arm, "And we'll be back again before long. We'll spend some more time then and your parents are welcome to visit Arus any time."

* * *

Twenty five minutes later, their cab pulled up behind the other one, where Sven was handing bills through the window to the driver. Keith waved off Tristan's attempt to pay and pulled his wallet out. 

They entered the Garrison headquarters and Keith led them to the front desk.

"Commander Keith Whitaker, here to see Malachi Sullivan."

The woman behind the desk nodded and typed something on the keyboard to her computer before picking up the headset to her phone and announcing their arrival. She turned back to them with a forced smile on her face, "Major Davis will be down shortly, he will take you to the courthouse."

Keith nodded, "Thank you, Ma'am."

A few moments later, a gentleman dressed in uniform and with a short crew cut approached them. He saluted sharply. "Commander Whitaker?"

Keith nodded and returned the salute before introducing everyone with him.

"It's an honor meeting you all," Major Davis said in a clipped tone. "Follow me, please, and I will take you to the courthouse. Malachi Sullivan is the head prosecutor, he's meeting with the judge and defense now, then you will be taken in for questioning."

They followed him wordlessly through a side door and across a courtyard to another building. Major Davis showed his identification and was allowed through the door where they all had to go through metal detectors. From there, he led them up a flight of stairs and down a hallway to a room with a table and a few chairs.

"You can wait here, Sullivan will be with you shortly," the Major told them. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Keith looked around, they all shook their heads. "No, thank you Major, we're fine." He replied.

"If you should need anything, there is a phone on the wall there that connects directly to the front desk. Please turn off any cell phone or devices that are unnecessary. Good day."

And suddenly the nine of them were alone in this room with six chairs. For a moment they all stood silently, as though they had no idea where to go next or what to do.

"Uh, well, have a seat," Keith held a chair out for Allura. "I'm sure Mr. Sullivan will be here soon."

Sky found herself too nervous to sit, shaking her head when Erik offered her a seat. Her feet refused to stop moving, tapping impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest.

Cady sat beside her mother, while Romelle, Delora, Sven, and Keith took the left over chairs. Tristan stood behind Cady, his hand possessively resting on her shoulder. Sky continued her little dance of nerves while Erik leaned against the wall, watching her with an expression of amusement and concern.

"I alvays hated uncomfortable silences," Sven mumbled.

"We could play 'I Spy'," Romelle suggested, kiddingly.

Erik snorted, "I spy, with my little eyes, something drab green."

"Everything in this room?" Tristan asked.

"Ding, ding, you win."

"Smart aleck," Romelle chastised her son.

"We could start talking wedding plans," Allura said, glancing over at Sky and Erik.

"What?" Sky asked, startled.

"Planning, you know, for your wedding."

"Oh, yeah."

Keith raised his eyebrows, "Are you okay, Schuyler?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem a little…nervous."

"No, no," she shook her head. "I'm fine."

Erik stepped forward and slid his arm around her shoulders, "Do we know what to expect when Sullivan gets here?"

Keith shrugged, "No, none of us have ever been witnesses for a trial before. But I'm sure he's harmless."

Biting her lip, Sky forced her feet to stop moving. She was feeling a little foolish at how obvious she was being with her nerves.

Erik pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before whispering into her ear, "It's going to be fine, Sunny, this will be over before you know it and maybe we can find another B&B to hide in."

"What are you saying to her, Erik?" Romelle asked. "You're making her blush."

Mortified, Sky covered her cheeks, "I am not!"

"Yes you are," Cady teased.

Allura shook her head, "Don't pick on Sky, she has a lot going on right now."

"She's worried about her dog," Erik said.

"Figment is fine," Keith assured her. "I've seen Lance walking both dogs each morning and evening. She seems perfectly happy."

"But how is Greedo treating her?" Sky asked.

"It's not Greedo you need to worry about."

She furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"

Keith and Allura chuckled.

"Well, it seems that Figment has started sitting on Greedo," Keith explained. "If he has a toy or ball or chew that she wants, Figment will walk over to where he's lying down and sit on his head."

Erik laughed, "Figment's a little bully!"

"Lance has had to start separating them at night. Figment has been sleep in the kitchen ever since he caught her lying on Greedo's back."

Sky smiled, proud of her little dog, "She's just showing him who's boss."

Tristan checked his watch, they had been there five minutes.

"I'm sure Sullivan will be in any second now," Keith said.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, they were still alone in the room. 

Erik leaned against the wall with Sky leaning back against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist as she rested her head back against his shoulder. Keith paced the room impatiently while Tristan sank into the chair he had vacated.

Conversations had come and gone, they had now fallen into an uncomfortable silence. Keith had called the front desk twice, trying to find out what was taking so long and both times he was told that Sullivan would be with them shortly. He had even opened the door and looked out into the hallway a couple of times, stopping a woman carrying an arm full of files who said she would see what she could find out for him as soon as she could.

"This is ridiculous," Keith grumbled.

"Oh, I don't know," Sven replied dryly. "I tink it's nice to have dis time to relax."

"What is taking so long?" Cady asked.

Tristan reached over and massaged the back of her neck, "I'm sure there is a really good reason for this."

"There had better be," Keith said.

"Okay," Sky stood up straight and stretched her arms above her head. "I'm going to need to find a bathroom soon."

"Me too," Romelle said.

Sven stood and stretched, "Come on, lets go find one."

Before he reached the door, there was a quick knock and it opened. A disheveled man wearing a brown suit with his tie loosened and his glasses sliding down his nose rushed in.

"I am so sorry to have kept you waiting," he said hurriedly, setting a briefcase on the table and running a hand through his thinning hair. "I'm Malachi Sullivan."

"Mr. Sullivan," Keith stepped forward and introduced himself. "I am Keith Whitaker. May I ask what is going on?"

"Of course, Commander, once again, I am sorry to have kept you waiting," he smiled and nodded to the others as they all gathered around the table. "I know you have all come a very long way, and we at the Garrison greatly appreciate it."

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming," Sky muttered.

Erik elbowed her in the side.

Malachi smiled at her, "Because there is a 'but' coming. We appreciate all of your cooperation, but you are now free to go."

"What?" Keith asked, confused.

"Mr. Vinn has been analyzed by two psychiatric doctors and has been found him to be to mentally incompetent to stand trial."

"So there will be no trial?" Allura asked.

"Correct."

Keith placed both hands on the table and leaned in, "So, you're telling me that we traveled all this way, disrupted our lives, and now you don't need us?"

"I understand your frustration, sir, but…"

"Why was this not decided earlier?" Erik asked.

"It had been discussed before, but Mr. Vinn refused to plead insanity. When the findings came back that Arus was not in any way guilty of abuse or mistreatment, his lawyer convinced him to undergo psychiatric evaluations. Two doctors, both court appointed, have found him to be mentally ill. The Garrison has accepted a plea that will put him in a mental hospital until it is determined he is no longer a threat or no longer mentally ill."

"Vhat are de chances of him being released into de public?" Sven asked.

"Slim to none. I can pretty much guarantee to you that Mr. Vinn will be confined to the hospital, under maximum security, permanently."

Keith scowled, "Will I be able to be kept up to date on his progress?"

"Of course, Commander, but I promise you, that there is nothing for you to worry about. Mr. Vinn will not be released into society. It's over, sir, you are free to return home."

They all looked at each other, no one really sure what to say or how to react. There were feelings of surprise, frustration, annoyance, and a touch of happiness surrounding them all.

"If there is anything else I can do for you," Malachi opened his briefcase and handed them all copies of his business card. "You can reach me at this number or through email. Would you like me to show you out?"

Keith shook his head, "That's not necessary. Thank you, Mr. Sullivan."

Malachi shook hands with them all and bid them good day, leaving the door open as he left.

"There is no way this is all over," Erik said.

Tristan shrugged, "It appears to be."

"So we flew all the way out here and they don't need us," Keith snarled. "We have work to do back on Arus, we don't have time to fly all over the universes just to be told that Vinn is going to be spending the rest of his life in a cushy hospital, not serving time in prison."

"I'm sure we can find out more about this hospital," Tristan said. "And I can tell you, that it isn't exactly like a hotel he's staying in."

"Okay," Allura clapped her hands together. "Let's put this into perspective. We are done with Vinn, he is going to be locked away and we don't have to worry about him anymore. We are on Terra, in a big city, and we're all dressed up. Let's go shopping and then have dinner at an expensive restaurant before going to the airport and meeting Sven's family."

"Sounds good to me," Romelle said.

Shrugging, Erik took Sky's hand and they followed the others out of the room.

"I can't believe its over," she whispered to him.

"You know Uncle Keith is going to keep an eye on this. If Vinn so much as sneezes, he will know. And I think we can talk to Tristan's father, he can find out about this hospital and what kind of treatments Vinn will be undergoing."

She smiled, "Are you kidding, before he returns to Arus, Keith will know what color the sheets are Vinn's bed and how often their changed."

"Come on guys," Cady called over her shoulder. "We only have five hours to shop and get dinner."


	13. An Evening At The Club

Hi all!

Once again, sorry for the delay, but work has been ridiculous lately. I also had to do some quick editing of my other stories. I had to pull my song fics and remove any song lyrics I had used in other stories. I am thinking about reposting my song fics sans the lyrics, I really like those stories and I think they can stand alone.

Any way, thank you so much for the great reviews. I hope to have the next couple of chapters up more quickly. I know exactly what is going to happen, I just need the time to sort through my thoughts and get them all organized in story form :)

Thanks for everything!  
Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

After they had all been dismissed from the Garrison, Tristan called his father and asked him to look into the Garrison run mental hospital. When he, Cady, Erik, and Sky returned to Boston with Keith and Allura a few days later, Vince Alexander would have a full report waiting for them.

They had all stayed in New York for four more days, seeing shows, shopping, and sampling the food from all over the world. Sven, Romelle, and Delora decided to fly back to Norway with his parents and visit for a few days before returning to Pollux. Keith and Allura accompanied the kids to Boston so they could meet Tristan's parents before heading to Albany to see Keith's mother.

They pulled into the long, curving driveway in front of the Alexander estate around mid-afternoon. The front door swung open and Josie stood, framed in the doorway, wearing a silk raspberry suit. Her hair was swept up in an elaborate twist while diamonds hung from her ears, around her neck and were draped around her wrists. Every movement sparkled.

Tristan whispered in Cady's ear, "I'll bet you anything she's been watching from the front window for the past hour."

"Be nice," she whispered back. "Let's try and make this as unawkward as possible."

"Is unawkward even a word?"

"If it isn't, it should be."

"I think we should look it up."

"I think you're stalling."

Tristan scowled at her as they climbed out of the car and joined the others.

Josie moved elegantly down the front steps, eyeing the royalty that were going to be staying with her and her husband. They weren't exactly as she had imagined them. Queen Allura wore a pair of green jeans and a green and white striped sweater under a thick, pink coat. Her boots came up above her ankles and were suited more for hiking than wearing to a stylish party. The only jewelry Josie could see were a very simple engagement and wedding ring set and a necklace of a gold heart with what appeared to have half a dozen small diamonds in it. Her hair had obviously been a golden blonde at one time but was lightening with a little gray and pulled back into a thick braid that fell halfway down her back.

Josie felt a little cheated. This was not the Queen she had imagined. She turned her attention to the Prince Consort.

Keith wasn't dressed much better. He wore khaki cargo pants and a black sweater. His hair was black, streaked with gray, and a little too long for a man his age.

They were certainly a very attractive couple, but not exactly royal looking. The two of them looked more like they belonged in a shopping mall than sitting on thrones.

Josie Alexander pasted the largest, friendliest smile she could muster onto her face and extended her hands, "Welcome to our home, your highness!"

Allura smiled graciously and took Josie's hand in hers, "It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Alexander, but please, call me Allura. And this is my husband, Keith."

"Keith, it is an honor to meet you both and to have you in our home. Please, call me Josie. My husband, Vince, is still at the office, unfortunately, but he will be joining us later with the information on the Garrison hospital." She hooked her arms through theirs and led them up the steps. "Come now, we'll get you settled in. Tristan, darling, bring their bags in, please. You can leave them in the foyer, Henry will make sure everything will get where it needs to be."

Cady, Erik, and Sky stood beside the car, all of them a little surprised at being ignored.

"Don't take it personally," Tristan said, as though reading their minds. "She's just too wrapped up in having royalty in her house."

"Hey," Erik said. "What are Cady and I? Chipped liver?"

"The expression is '_chopped_ liver'," Tristan corrected as he pulled a couple of bags out of the back of the car. "And you aren't, but you guys are a prince and a princess, now there is a _queen_ in the house."

The four of them entered the house and heard Josie's voice coming from the front parlor, telling Keith and Allura about the portrait of her father-in-law hanging above the fireplace.

"Come on, lets take our stuff upstairs," Tristan whispered. "She'll be in there for hours sharing the history of the Alexander family."

They left Keith and Allura's bags in the foyer and marched up the stairs. Cady, Erik, and Sky turned left while Tristan went to the right.

Cady set her bags on her bed and began weeding through them. She pulled out the laundry basket Josie had left in the closet and filled it. "I can't believe I brought this many clothes," she murmured as she pressed down on the pile, trying to cram one more shirt into the basket.

"Do you want another basket?" Tristan asked from the doorway.

"How did you finish unpacking so quickly?"

"I didn't, I just don't feel like doing it right now," he told her as he sat on the side of her bed.

"I don't either," she admitted. "I just want to curl up and take a nap."

"Then do it."

"That would be rude. We just got back, my parents are here, I have to unpack."

"You can put that off until later."

Cady sighed and put her hands on her hips, "I don't remember taking this much stuff."

"Because you bought twice as much as you took with you," he reminded her. "And you're leaving it up to me to find a way to get this all back to Arus."

"I have faith in you. Where are my parents going to be staying?"

"There's another bedroom on the other end of the hall. It's bigger than any of these, almost as big as mine."

Cady pushed aside the full laundry basket and kicked her suitcases away so she could crawl onto the bed, "What does your mother have planned for tonight?"

"I think tonight she and my father are taking us to the Country Club for dinner. I told her to make it an early evening since we'll all probably want to hit the sack early."

She curled up on top of the quilt and closed her eyes, "How long do we have before dinner?"

Tristan wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "Enough."

"You better not let my father catch you in here."

"I won't."

"He'll kick your butt."

"I know."

"And you'll lose your job."

Tristan chuckled softly, "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

_They're back,_ Brian thought gleefully. 

He had spent the last week thinking and planning. He had notes stacked neatly on the shelf in his apartment, including some sketches he had carefully drawn late at night. It was going to be perfect.

For a fleeting moment, after seeing that the Queen had come too, he thought about dropping his original plans and pursuing her. But no, this was going to be better. This was going to be his swan song. This would be his last job, but he knew he would go down in history. He could finally retire, finally rest, and know that years from now, people would still be talking about him.

"Sebold!"

Brian looked away from the window he was standing in front of and turned to his boss, "Yes, Mr. Harris?"

"Stop lallygagging, we just received word that the Alexanders are coming tonight with some important guests. We need to set up the Palmer room for them, make sure there are fresh flowers in there and new candles." Mr. Harris demanded.

Brian felt his heart beat faster and his mouth began to water, _They__ were coming here! Tonight!_

"Yes sir, I'll go to the nursery now."

"Thank you, Sebold." Mr. Harris turned on his heel and hurried back toward the kitchen.

Brian allowed the grin that had been threatening to split his face come out in full force. He placed his hand over his heart and took a deep breath.

* * *

Cady woke feeling a little disoriented. She was alone in her room, her shoes had been removed, and a blanket had been laid on top of her. She sat up and stretched, feeling disappointed that Tristan wasn't there. But she knew it was for the best. Even though they hadn't done anything improper, Cady knew that if her father had caught them, he would have chased Tristan out of the house and down the street, threatening bodily harm. 

She glanced at the clock and saw that she had been sleeping for over an hour. Wondering what time they were going to have dinner, Cady pushed the blanket aside and stood.

Following the sound of voices, Cady made her way downstairs and into the den. The room was crowded with her parents sharing the leather couch with Josie. Erik was sitting in the arm chair in front of the window with Sky sitting on his lap. Tristan sat in the chair opposite them. They all had their attention on Keith as he told a story about the original Voltron Force.

Allura noticed her daughter in the doorway and motioned for her to come in. "Cady, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"Did you have a good nap?" Josie asked.

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you." She stopped beside Tristan's chair when he reached up and grabbed her hand. Realizing there were no other seats available, Cady sat on the arm of his chair.

"We were just filling Josie in on some of our adventures," Keith told her.

Josie shivered elegantly, "I was so worried when Tristan told us he wanted to join the Garrison that something would happen to him. It is such a comfort to know he is with such good company, such talented soldiers."

"Don't worry," Keith assured her. "We have his back. Tristan is a terrific pilot and an asset to the Arusian military."

"He's an asset to Arus, period," Cady said, leaning down to kiss him.

"Oh please," Erik called out.

Josie smiled softly, "And I am so glad that Tristan and Cady found each other."

"You and me both," the Arusian Princess said.

"I just wish he wasn't so far away."

Allura gently patted Josie's hand, "The door is always open, Josie. You and your husband are welcome to visit any time."

"And you know we'll be back to visit," Tristan added.

Josie stood at the sound of the front door opening and closing. "That would be Vince. Please, stay seated, I'll bring him in here."

Cady leaned down and whispered to Tristan, "When are we going to eat?"

"You hungry?" He asked.

"She wants to know how much time she has to get ready to go to _the club_," Sky teased.

"Well, what are you wearing?" Cady asked her.

Allura looked at Tristan, "Are there any dress rules we need to know about?"

"No jeans, no sneakers off the golf course, all men must wear a collared shirt, um, it's been a while," he sighed. "I think that's it."

"Come on," Erik groaned. "I never understood dress codes at restaurants. They're getting our money, our patronage, they shouldn't care how we dress."

Sky elbowed him in the side, "I think it's nice. It's an excuse to dress up, to pretend we're grownups."

"I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but you are a grownup," Allura told her.

Sky scowled, "I don't think I'm ready to be grownup yet."

Keith raised an eyebrow, "If you aren't ready to be grownup, then you aren't ready to get married."

"That's why we're waiting two years," she quipped. "Give us a little more time to mature."

"You're going to need more than just two years for that," Tristan teased.

"Allura, Keith, I would like to introduce you to my husband, Vince," Josie said as she reentered the room, her hand tucked into his arm.

Keith stood and offered his hand, "Vince, it's nice to meet you."

"And you, Keith," Vince said warmly, shaking his hand before turned to Allura and taking the hand she offered. He brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, "It's a pleasure, Allura."

"It certainly is, Vince. You have a lovely home and we have had such a wonderful time with your wife," she said graciously.

"I called the club and they will have the Palmer room will be ready at 7:30," Vince told his wife.

"Wonderful," Josie exclaimed. "We'll leave here at 7:00."

Vince held up the briefcase he held in his hand and told Keith, "I have the report on the Garrison's hospital, I thought we could go over it after we returned tonight."

Keith nodded, "That would be great, thank you for everything."

"It's not a problem, I'm glad I could help."

Cady checked her watch, "Well, we have just over an hour before we leave, so if you'll excuse me, I am going to go dress."

* * *

Sky smoothed her hands over her skirt and raised her hand to knock on Cady's door. 

"Who is it?"

"It's me," Sky called through the closed door.

The door was yanked open and Cady looked her best friend over, taking in the black knee length skirt and red sweater. "Hm, that's what you're wearing?"

Sky looked down, "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Oh nothing," Cady turned back to her room. "You look nice."

"So do you," Sky assured her as she took in the princess' appearance. Cady wore a dark green cocktail length dress with long sleeves, an empire waist and lattice design covering the bodice. It was a very feminine, very pretty dress. "Is that one of your new dresses?"

"Yes? What's wrong? Doesn't it look all right?" Cady asked nervously.

"Oh for, Pete's sake, Cady. You look great, you always do. Why are you so nervous?"

"I'm not nervous," she sighed, sitting down and sliding black high heeled shoes on. "You spent more time with everyone, how are they getting along?"

"They're getting along fine. But then who wouldn't love your parents?"

Cady sat at the vanity and studied her reflection. Now that her hair was shorter, she was having a hard time finding new ways to style it. "What should I do with my hair?"

"I think you should really impress Josie and wear your circlet," Sky teased.

"You're a real riot, Schuyler."

"It looks fine the way it is."

"No, this is how I wore it all day," she muttered, running her fingers through her curls.

Sky walked over to the dresser and started shifting through the jewelry box Cady had brought with her, "What jewelry are you wearing?"

"Um, my choker with the emerald and gold filigree pendent and my little gold drop earrings."

"Then use these," she pulled out two diamond encrusted combs. "Pull your hair back above our ears, it'll show off your earrings."

"Oh, good idea, Sky."

Erik peeked around the ajar door, "You girls decent?"

"It's too late to be asking that, isn't it," Cady asked as she brushed back her hair. "You're all ready in."

He whistled softly, "Looking hot, Sunny."

Sky spun on her toes, "Why, thank you."

"You all about ready?" Tristan asked from the doorway.

Cady pushed the second comb into place, "What time is it?"

"Ten of seven."

Sky brushed some imaginary lint off Erik's sweater, "And look, Cady is the last one ready."

Cady took the hand Tristan offered and stood, "Beauty can not be rushed, Schuyler."

"Oh, you guys look great," Allura gasped as they all met up in the hallway. "Cady, that dress was a perfect buy."

"I'll say," Tristan agreed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get going so I can show off my beautiful girlfriend."

"Tristan, dear," Josie hurried from her room, attaching an earring. "The article your father and I were interviewed for is on the counter in the kitchen, you'll have to check it out when we get back."

"How did it turn out?" He asked.

"Very nice. We sent a copy of it to your grandmother, she loved it."

"Shall we go?" Vince asked, following his wife from their room.

* * *

The Freedom Hills Country Club was buzzing with activity when they arrived. A large party was taking place in the lounge, the bar was quite crowded and loud. Josie scowled in their direction, upset at the amount of noise. They walked through the second lobby and were greeted at the entrance to the main dining room by a main in a suit. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Alexander, it is truly a pleasure, as always," he gushed. "It has been way too long."

"Harris," Josie took his hands in her. "It's so nice to see you and we really appreciate your help at such a short notice."

"Not a problem, not a problem at all."

"Harris, you remember our son, Tristan."

"Of course, how are you?"

Tristan smiled, "I'm fine, thank you."

"So good to see you again."

"And this is his girlfriend, Princess Cadence of Arus," Josie continued. "And her parents, Queen Allura and Prince Consort Keith Whitaker and friends of theirs, Prince Erik of Pollux and his girlfriend, Schuyler Collier."

Harris all but fluttered with excitement as he was introduced to all the royalty, "It is truly, truly a pleasure to meet all of you."

Sky smiled and nodded to the maitre d'. She was starting to get used to Josie's need to show them all off, at first it had annoyed her, but she realized now that it made the woman feel better, so what was the harm. They were going home in a few days any way.

Her attention was suddenly caught by a passing busboy. She wasn't sure why. It might have been his size, he was well over six feet tall and built like a tree trunk. He walked with a slouch and kept glancing at them. She knew he was probably just curious, but something about him had her feeling uneasy.

Sky snapped out of it when she felt Erik take her elbow and gently guide her. They followed the others through the main dining room and to a smaller room. The Palmer room was used for small, private parties. The wall was solid windows that extended up into the ceiling. It was a clear, beautiful evening and they could just see the ocean in the distance. One long table was in the center, set for eight with fine china and shining crystal.

A single sheet menu was placed on each plate listing the appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and available wines. As they were all seated, a waiter made his way around the table and filled their water glasses. Vince sat at the head of the table with Josie on his right and Keith on his left. Allura sat beside Keith with Cady on her other side and Tristan at the other end of the table with Sky to his left and Erik beside her.

"Would you like to select a wine to sample while you're looking over the menu?" Harris asked Vince.

Tristan's father glanced at the menu and then looked up at the others, "Would you all like to try a white or red wine?"

"I'm more partial to white wine," Allura said. The others all nodded their heads in agreement.

"All right then," Vince looked back at the menu. "We'll try the Getly '95."

"Very good sir," Harris bowed slightly and hurried from the room.

"This is all just beautiful," Allura sighed.

"We can walk off some of this supper later and go on a little tour," Josie said.

"Do you golf, Keith?" Vince asked.

Smiling sheepishly, the Voltron Commander shook his head, "I'm sorry to say that is one sport I never picked up."

"That's a shame, it's quite relaxing. Maybe we can hit the links before you leave."

"Sure, I'll give it a shot."

Tristan leaned toward Cady, holding his menu up to hide his face. "This hasn't been too painful," he whispered.

"No, they seem to be getting along fine," she whispered back.

"Maybe your father will be a regular golfer by the time he heads back to Arus."

"Or are you just hoping he will be putting a golf course in at the castle?"

"I wouldn't mind that."

Allura leaned over and whispered, "I hate to break up this romantic little tête-à-tête, but you're being rude."

Cady smiled and sat up straight, "Sorry, Mom." She looked around and caught Josie looking at her, she smiled at the older woman who returned her smile, a little hesitantly.

Sky looked from her menu to Erik's, "What are you getting?"

"I'm thinking seafood," he replied dryly.

"They do know there is food other than fish, right?"

"Not in New England, there isn't. Oh, wait, there's steak."

"Where?"

"There," he pointed at the filet mignon halfway down the menu.

A waiter stood between them and filled their glasses with the selected wine.

"Go easy on that," Erik whispered to her. "You are a bit of a lightweight."

"I'm a lady," she replied haughtily. "I know how to handle my liquor."

He snorted quietly.

Vince cleared his throat and raised his glass, "I would like to propose a toast. Here's to our newly extended family. Welcome, Cady, Keith, and Allura. And congratulations to Erik and Schuyler on their engagement."

The others all raised their glasses in unison.

It grew progressively darker as the evening wore on. More lights were turned on as they ate their meals of lobster, fish, and steak. Both Tristan and Cady were relieved to see their parents getting along so well. Keith and Vince made plans to go golfing the next day while Allura and Josie discussed going shopping with the girls. Keith showed them both his wallet full of pictures of their other five children while Allura told them all about Arus.

"Would you like to see a dessert tray?" Harris asked.

Vince nodded, "Sure. It won't hurt to look."

"I will explode if I eat one more thing," Sky sighed, resting her hand on her stomach.

"They have a peanut butter pie," Erik told her as the tray came by them.

She sat up, "Really? Split it with me."

"I was thinking about the chocolate cake."

"Oh."

"I'll split it with you," Allura offered.

"Thanks, Aunt Allura."

"Like you couldn't eat it all yourself," Erik muttered.

Sky kicked him under the table.

"I'll be right back with your desserts," the waiter vowed, bowing slightly and hurrying out with the display tray.

"This has been delightful," Allura said, sipping her wine. "Thank you so much for dinner."

"It's our pleasure," Josie assured her. "This has been fun. I guess it was a stroke of luck that our Tristan ended up on Arus."

"It wasn't luck," Cady told him quietly. "It was magic."

He winked at her.

* * *

The party in the lounge had broken up by the time they finished their meal. They broke up into two groups. Vince took Keith, Erik, and Sky on a tour of the gym and golf course while Josie and Tristan showed Allura and Cady grounds. The plan was to meet back at the pro shop in half an hour. 

"I wish you could be here to see the garden in bloom," Josie said as they stood in front of the windows overlooking the Club's award winning gardens.

"Oh, I'm sure it's just lovely. Do you garden, Josie?" Allura asked.

"No, I'm afraid I don't have a green thumb."

"I just love to garden. When you visit Arus, I would love to show my gardens."

"We'll have to plan a trip sometime this summer."

"That would be great."

Cady and Tristan hung back a little from their mothers. They walked hand in hand, Cady studying the art on the walls and the classic decorations. Tristan studied her.

"Hey," she whispered quietly.

"Hey what?"

"Is there a ladies room around here?"

"Uh yeah," he looked around. "The closest one is up the steps by the kitchen. Come on, I'll take you."

"Where are you going?" Josie asked as they turned around.

"I'm taking Cady up to the bathroom. We'll meet you at the pro shop." Tristan told her.

"Okay, dear."

"I've never been in a Country Club before," Cady told him. "This place is lovely."

"Yeah it's nice. We used to come here every summer to swim." He chuckled. "Well, except for the summer when Owen and I were banned from the pool."

They stopped in front of restroom doors. "What happened?" She asked.

"Well, we were young and had just discovered girls. Being the quick, smart men that we were, we thought that if we pretended to be lifeguards and went into the girl's changing room…"

"Okay," Cady held up her hands. "I don't want to know. I'll be right back."

"I'll be right here."

Tristan leaned against the wall. It was quiet, the club closed in half an hour and the kitchen had closed fifteen minutes earlier. He nodded to a couple of woman who left the kitchen and headed out, followed a few moments later by the head chef.

He checked his watch. Tristan knew the old stereotypes about women taking forever in the bathroom, but this was ridiculous.

_Two more minutes_, he thought, pacing in front of the door. _Then I am going in._

Another woman came out of the kitchen, reaching back to turn off the lights, before turning toward him. She smiled and passed him on her way into the bathroom. Tristan stopped pacing and studied the painting hanging on the wall, a vase tipped over on a table with a spray of yellow roses spilled across the table.

The woman came back out of the bathroom.

"Excuse me," Tristan stopped her.

"Yes?"

"I'm, uh, I'm waiting for my girlfriend, was she…"

"There was no one in there."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," the woman said. "Are you sure this was where you were supposed to meet her?"

"There is no one in there?" He asked.

She shook her head.

Without another thought, Tristan pushed open the door and entered. The lights automatically turned on, flooding the room with fluorescent light. The woman followed him in.

"Cady!"

No answer.

The two of the checked every stall. No one.

"There's another restroom in the changing rooms, are you sure she came in here?" The woman asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." He replied tersely. "I stood in front of the door when she came in, but she never came out."

"When was that?"

He glanced at his watch, ignoring the way his heart raced and the worry thatwashed over him. "Uh, eight minutes ago."

"Hm, that is strange."

Tristan stood in front of the sinks, his hands on his hips looking around. Something sparkling caught his eye, he leaned down and picked it up. A diamond encrusted comb. Clutching it in his hand, he looked around and saw another door, there was no knob or handle. "Where does that door go?"

"The kitchen."

He walked over and pushed it. It was locked.

"It's always locked," she told him. "We don't even know why it's there."

"Who has a key?"

"Uh, the manager I guess. I don't know, it's always locked."

Tristan pulled his communicator out and dialed up Keith.

"Whitaker."

"Keith, Cady's missing."

At first, Keith thought he misheard, "What?"

"Cady's gone. She went into the bathroom and disappeared."

"What do you mean _disappeared_?"

Tristan snapped, "She's fucking gone! She walked into the bathroom eight minutes ago and disappeared!"

"Okay, calm down. Where are you?"

* * *

Three minutes later, the doors to the club were locked and everybody who was still in the building was gathered in the main dining room, a handful of guests and a dozen employees. Keith was organizing a search of the building, splitting up the volunteers into pairs. Josie sat with Allura, patting her arm, trying to offer comfort. 

Keith was hesitant to include Allura or Sky in the search. He didn't know what had happened to Cady, where she was, who had her. What if the same person who had her went after one of them? But Sky was not about to allow him to leave her out. In the end, he paired her with himself and Erik with one of the busboys.

Sky watched Erik and the busboy hurry from the dining room. He was the same guy she had seen earlier. The big guy who had left her feeling unsettled and it took every ounce of self control to stop from running after them.

"Come on, Schuyler, we're going to check the lounge and front lobby area," Keith said hurriedly, grabbing her arm.

Ten minutes later, the search parties slowly trickled back into the dining room. Allura paced the floor, looking up expectantly as each group returned. But none of them found Cady or any sign of her. She looked down at the comb she held in her hand. Tristan had given it to her saying that when she came back, Cady would be looking for it.

Keith stormed in with Sky at his heels. He looked around and his heart sank. With a nod, he signaled to Harris to call the police. It was official, Cady was missing.

"I take it no one found anything?" He asked, his voice raw.

Around the room, heads shook sadly.

"Where's Erik?" Sky asked.

Keith scanned the room. Neither Erik nor the busboy he had gone with were back. "They were sent to check the men's locker room. Stay here, Sky," he waved over a waiter. "We're going to look for him."

"Uncle Keith…"

"Don't argue with me," he snapped. "Stay with Allura and wait for the police."

Biting her lip, she watched him and the waiter run across the room. Just as they were about to cross through the doorway, the busboy who had been with Erik burst in.

"That…that man I was with," he gasped breathlessly. "Erik. I can't find him."

Keith took his shoulder, "Brian, right?"

He nodded.

"Tell me what happened," Keith demanded.

"We were in the locker room, I heard a noise in the shower area. I ran over and…and there was a shower curtain on the floor, like someone ripped it down, but there was no one around. I looked all around the locker room, but he's gone."

Sky gripped the back of the chair beside her, trying to steady herself.

Keith rubbed his hand over his face, trying to get a grasp on what had happened. How was it that both Cady and Erik just disappeared into thin air? Who would take them? How could they take them without anyone noticing?

He looked around the room. _Someone in this room knows what is going on,_ he thought._ Someone in here knows where they are or saw something they aren't admitting._


	14. Unimaginable

Brian watched all the activity around him and mentally congratulated himself on being able to blend in with the concerned bystanders.

The police had arrived and were interviewing all the people still there and searching the grounds. It was getting late and most of the visitors and employees were getting restless, wanting to go home.

Brian was feeling restless as well. But for different reasons. He hadn't originally planned to take the princess and prince this evening, but when he saw them, he couldn't help himself. He had taken the princess from the bathroom, knocking her out and hiding her in the kitchen until Beth, the last waitress, left. He then took a bag of _garbage_ out to his truck. He didn't leave the princess in the bag, of course, he had her wrists and ankles tied, her eyes covered and her mouth gagged, lying in the covered bed of his truck.

As for the prince, well, that had been a stroke of luck. When they were alone in the locker room, he had suggested they split up, he would take the lockers and Erik could start at the showers, they would meet in the middle. Brian then found a golf club, knocked out the prince and dragged him to the truck with the princess. It had been dark and everyone else was so preoccupied, that no one noticed him. Brian knew this club inside and out, he knew where to go and how to get there. Now the prince was lying beside the princess, also tied up, blindfolded, and gagged.

He wasn't sure how long they would stay unconscious, so he was anxious to get them back to his apartment. He had plans, there were things he needed to do. And he couldn't wait.

He had been one of the first people interviewed and was now just waiting around. Spotting the officer in charge, Brian made his way over to him.

"Excuse me."

The officer turned to him, "Yes, what is it?"

"I've been interviewed already and I was wondering if I could go. My mother is ill and I need to check on her, make sure she takes her medicine before she goes to bed."

Hesitating, the officer looked him up and down, "Did you give your name and contact information to the officer who interviewed you?"

"Yes sir, my name is Brian Sebold and Officer Roberts was the one who interviewed me."

"All right, Mr. Sebold. If we have any other questions we will contact you and if you can think of anything, please call immediately, ask for Detective Elliott."

"Yes sir. I just…" Brian stopped and bit his lip. "I just hope you can find them soon. I waited on them earlier this evening and they seemed like such nice people."

Detective Elliott nodded, "Thank you for your cooperation."

* * *

Tristan stood beside Sky, not sure what to do or what to think. How could this happen? How could they just disappear? It was Erik that made him worry the most. Cady was small and easily over powered, but Erik was a tall, strong man. It had to be more than one person who did this. 

Sky stood beside him, unconsciously chewing her nails, her eyes darting around the room.

Allura was on the phone calling Sven and Romelle to let them know what had happened. Keith was standing with Det. Elliott, the officer in charge of the investigation. It was getting late and they were starting to allow people to leave. Det. Elliott handed his card out to everyone who left.

Tristan checked his watch again. Almost an hour had passed and he was getting angrier by the moment. Too much time was passing. They had to do something. They couldn't just stand here.

While they had waited for the police to arrive, Keith had tried calling both their communicators, but, of course, there had been no response. Tristan unclipped his communicator from his belt and studied it. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he fought the urge to slap his forehead with the heel of his palm.

He hurried over to where the commander stood, but quickly learned that Keith had already thought of that, he was in the process of making plans.

"It's all connected to the system at the Castle of Lions, we'll have to contact Pidge and see if the signal can reach," Keith was explaining to Det. Elliott. "I am going to contact my men, it will take a few moments. I need you to find a computer with the fastest connection available."

Det. Elliott nodded and went to speak with Harris.

Tristan stood beside Keith and listened to him as he spoke with Pidge. It was a frustratingly slow process with the delay between the planets.

"I figured you would be calling," Pidge said. "Hunk and I have been working on strengthening the signal to Terra."

"They are securing a high speed connection on a computer here," Keith told him.

"Let me know when you're set up and we'll try and connect."

Keith turned to the young man standing beside him, "Tristan, can you go see what is going on with the computer."

He nodded and ran over to where Det. Elliott was talking with Harris, "Have you found a computer yet?"

"Our best bet would be in the manager's office," Harris said. "I sent someone to find a key."

"What's the hold up?" Tristan snapped. "Don't you realize what's going on? Two people are missing! They could be dead! And you're standing here talking about getting in to an office?" He stopped when a hand gently grasped his arm.

"Tristan, you need to stay calm," Allura said carefully. "We're all worried, but getting upset and losing your cool won't help."

"Sir, here's the key, I tried calling Mr. Weber, but there was no answer," a young man said breathlessly, holding up a key ring with a single key on it.

"That's all right, Ray, I'm sure he won't mind that we used his computer when we explain why," Harris said. "Follow me, please."

Allura waved to Keith and he, Sky, Josie, and Vince joined them as they jogged down the hall and to the door marked _Office_. Keith sat in front of the computer and set his communicator on the desk. Pidge talked him through signing on and connecting with the Castle of Lions. Digging through the desk drawers, Keith found a spare USB cord and connected his communicator to the computer. Tristan paced the floor while Allura stood over Keith's shoulder. Sky stood quietly by the door, chewing on her fingernails.

"It will take a moment," Pidge said. "We have to receive the signal from Terra and then send it back."

"There's no way to cut out Arus and connect the communicator straight to this computer?" Allura asked.

"Sorry, Allura," he shook his head. "This is the only way right now. We're going to try Cady's first."

Keith sat back and clutched the arms of his chair until his knuckles turned white. Allura twisted her hands and waited. Tristan counted the seconds on his watch. It took nearly ten minutes, but there was finally a distinct beeping sound.

"I'm sending the coordinates to the computer and then to your communicator," Pidge said excitedly. "It's very close to where you are!"

Keith jumped to his feet, clutching his communicator, "Tristan, Elliott, come with me, everyone else stay here."

"But…" Sky spoke up.

Allura took her arm, "If he needs us, he'll call."

Sky bit her lip and nodded.

Following the coordinates, the three men ran through the building, pass the main dining room, pro shop, men's locker room, and to the kitchen. The door was locked, but Tristan wasn't going to be stopped. Motioning for the others to stand back, he braced himself, and ran forward, kicking as hard as he could, breaking the door open and leaving it hanging on one hinge.

The kitchen was dark and empty. The light from the hallway reflected of the gleaming, chrome surfaces. Elliott flipped the switch by the door and the room turned blindingly bright.

"Cady!" Tristan called out. He knew there wouldn't be an answer, but he had to try.

Keith moved through the room, past the oversized refrigerator, the grill and stovetops. His shoes echoed eerily off the tile floor as he jogged across it. The quiet surrounding him made the thundering of his heart sound even louder in his ears.

"Through here," he said, pointing to a door.

"What is it?" Tristan asked. "A pantry?"

"Only one way to find out," Elliott said. He tried the door, but it was locked.

Tristan trying kicking it in as he had done before, but the vibrations shook his leg and had him worried for a split second that he may have sprained his ankle.

"Call Sky on your communicator," Keith instructed. "Have her ask Harris where this door leads."

Sky jumped when her communicator buzzed. She fumbled slightly unclipping it from her skirt, "C-Collier."

"Sky, ask Harris where the door in the back of the kitchen leads to," Tristan said. "It's by the dishwasher."

Harris was standing nearby and heard the question, "It's a backdoor. It opens by the dumpster, there is a key in the cupboard above the dishwasher."

Sky repeated what he said and the connection ended abruptly when Tristan snapped his communicator shut.

Elliott found the key and they opened the door. The dumpster was just outside the door to the right and partially hidden by a short wall. Beyond that was a parking lot. The three men hesitated in front of the dumpster, afraid of what they might find inside. Knowing that this was not something the girl's father or boyfriend should have to do, Elliott flipped open the dumpster and peered inside.

Tristan walked around the side, his heart thundering, afraid to look, but knowing he had to.

"Shit!" Keith exclaimed.

Tristan and Elliott both turned to see Keith crouching beside the dumpster. He leaned over and reached beneath the giant metal trash container and pulled out Cady's small black purse. Flipping it open, he found her communicator inside.

"Well, at least we know she came this way," Elliott said.

"Th-there's…nothing…" Tristan stammered, pointing to the dumpster.

The officer shook his head, "It must have just been emptied earlier today. There is some garbage in there, but it is just garbage."

"Let's try Erik's communicator," Keith said, leading them back inside and to the office.

* * *

Cady woke slowly, feeling groggy and cold, her head throbbing. Her face itched and her shoulders hurt. She blinked, trying to remember what had happened and where she was. 

Her mouth was forced closed and she quickly realized that it was taped shut with a thick swatch of duct tape. One eye was covered, but she was able to push the blindfold the rest of the way off by rubbing her face against the rough carpet. She blinked as her eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting. It was a small room and the floor was hard, covered by a thin, rough carpet. Above her was a table and two chairs, there was also a bed, a dresser, and various other shapes she couldn't identify in the darkness.

Cady stiffened slightly as she heard the distinct sound of breathing. She couldn't see anyone else, but she could hear them. Knowing that whatever she was imagining was much worse that what actually was, Cady slowly, painfully rolled over. Her wrists were tied tightly behind her back, pulling on her shoulders and making movement difficult.

About two feet away, was another person. Also lying on the floor, this person was tied at the wrists and ankles, just as Cady was, but she could tell he was secured more tightly with ropes around his knees and chest, securing his legs and arms even tighter. His mouth was taped as well and the blindfold was still covering his eyes.

She shimmied a little closer and gasped when she realized it was Erik.

He was lying motionless, his breathing slow and even.

She tried to call out to him, but it came out as a muffled, "Mmpfh."

His head moved toward the noise.

Whimpering, she tried again, "Mmpfh!"

Erik began to struggle against his restraints, unable to move. He rubbed his head against the carpet until one eye was uncovered. He blinked and looked around, his eye settling on the shadowed woman lying nearby. With a heavy sigh, he realized it was Cady.

_What the hell happened?_ He thought, his head pounding, his body sore. _Where are we?_

Cady whimpered.

Erik rubbed his head against the carpet again and pushed the blindfold up into his hair. He looked around their sparse surroundings while he twisted his wrists, trying to free his hands.

There was a sound outside and a key scrapped against the lock.

Cady whimpered again.

Erik looked at her and winked, hoping she would take it as a sign of reassurance.

The door opened.

Cady squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself.

Erik kept his eyes open and watched as Brian entered the room, shut and locked the door, and turned on the light atop the table. The room was dank and small. The furniture old and decrepit.

"I see you're awake," Brian said, looking down at Erik. "I had hoped to have more time, but I know they're looking for you. With the others, no one knew they were missing until they were found. This does complicate things, you know?"

Erik watched as Brian stepped over Cady and took down a box off a shelf on the wall.

Opening the box, Brian sat on the floor between them. He pulled out a spool of white ribbon and a pair of scissors. Working methodically, he cut two lengths of ribbon, taking one he turned to Cady. As soon as his fingers touched her hair, her eyes flew open and watched him, terrified. "Don't worry," he said soothingly. "I just want a little souvenir." He tied a lock of her hair with the ribbon and snipped it off. Holding up the golden curl, he smiled and brought it to his nose to smell it before laying it in the box along with nearly half a dozen other locks of hair. He then turned to Erik and did the same.

"When all this is over," Brian explained as he replaced the box on the shelf. "They will be able to take my souvenirs and trace them back to everyone I killed." He took a thick book down from the shelf. "When people hear my name, they will remember that I killed seven people and two of them were actual royalty." He giggled softly as he sat between them, opening the book on his lap. "I've been going over and over this book, trying to find the perfect fairy tale for each of you. There are so many stories of princesses and princes, I just couldn't decide. But then it hit me. I was looking in the wrong place. You will be the story that isn't about royalty, you will be my Hansel and Gretal!" He declared excitedly.

Cady squeezed her eyes shut as tears welled.

"Oh, oh don't cry," Brian gently stroked her cheek.

She jerked back, her eyes flying open.

Erik fought against his restraints, his yelling muffled against the tape across his mouth.

"You'll be famous too," Brian said softly, ignoring Erik. "You're name will go on for years, decades. Everyone will remember you for your beauty and your tragic ending. It will be like a movie or a storybook."

Cady shook her head, tears falling freely from her eyes. This could not be happening. Everything was going right in her life. She was happy, she was with the man she loved, she was working hard for her future, everything was right. But now this? No. It can't be. She could not die this way. After everything her family had gone through, after everything her parents had gone through to be together and to have their family, her life could not end this way.

Brian grew tired of Erik's struggles and muffled shouts. With a heavy sigh, he turned to the young prince and drew back his large fist, slamming it into the side of Erik's head. He fell silent and still.

Cady screamed against her gag. With wide, wet eyes she slithered back, trying to get away from Brian.

"Don't worry, Gretal," Brian assured her. "I won't hurt your face. You will be just as pretty in death as you are in life." He stood and laid the book on the table where he carefully tore out a page. "I have it all planned out. I even took some bread and tore it into breadcrumbs to lay around you when I am done. It will lead the police to you just like the breadcrumbs were going to lead Hansel and Gretal home. Isn't that a clever idea?"

Cady shook her head. If only she wasn't gagged, she could talk to him, try to reason with him. She slid her gaze to Erik and felt her breath catch in her chest. He wasn't moving.

A low vibrating hum caught Brian's attention. He looked around, "What's that?"

Cady stared back at him. She knew what it was. Erik had set his communicator on vibrate and it was going off, the vibrations muffled against the carpet. She shrugged.

Brian knelt beside Erik and pushed him onto his back, finding the communicator clipped to his belt. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" He shouted snatching it with his hand. He carried it to the table and picked up a huge knife, repeatedly stabbing the communicator angrily. "No! No! No!"

Cady felt her entire body tremble. The power and anger Brian was demonstrating sent fear through her veins, turning her blood to ice. She glanced over at Erik again and saw his eyes flutter open. His left eye was starting to swell as a bruise began to form. He winked at her, once again trying to signal to her that it was going to be all right. Erik slowly moved closer to her.

Brain turned to them, "I guess that means they're getting closer, huh? I guess this means I had better get moving."

Cady's eyes widened as he knelt beside her, the knife in one hand and a towel in the other. He touched her gently with his fingers, stroking her cheek, her neck, her chest. His hand raced over her body as she trembled and cried silently.

"If only I had more time," he sighed quietly, laying the towel over her face. "I said I wouldn't mess up your face, and I won't."

* * *

Keith felt his heart race with anticipation as Pidge uploaded the coordinates to where Erik's homing device was emitting its signal. 

"Keith?"

"What Pidge?"

"I have all the coordinates, but his communicator has stopped transmitting."

"What do you mean?"

Pidge sighed with frustration, "His communicator is no longer transmitting. It's…it's dead."

Sky let out a small cry before clamping both hands over her mouth.

Allura slid an arm around her shoulders, "It might have been turned off, or dropped, we can't think the worst, honey."

She nodded.

"Okay, I have it," Keith said. "Thanks, Pidge, but stay by the computer in case we need you again."

"Will do, sir."

Keith turned to Det. Elliott and the two men went over the coordinates.

"This isn't far from here, it's a low income housing development." Elliott told him. "It's about five minutes away, I'll get my men on it now."

"We're coming too," Keith said.

"Let's go," Elliott motioned to his men in the room as he pulled his walkie-talkie off his belt. He barked out orders, calling for backup as they all ran from the office and out to the waiting patrol cars.

* * *

Cady squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for what she knew would the end. She thought of her family, her brothers and sisters. A quiet cry came from deep within her throat as she thought of Nicky. The last time she had seen him had been almost a month earlier, the night before they left Arus. He cried and hugged her tight, telling her he'd miss her and she promised to bring him back a really cool present. She thought of the twins and their troublemaking. Declan would be the next in line for the throne now. She thought of her sisters and everything she would miss in their growing up. She thought of her parents and what this would do to them. And lastly, she thought of Tristan. It was his face she concentrated on, his smile, that dimple. Tears slid from her eyes and into her hair, but she found some solace in his visage. 

Cady felt the prick of the knife on her throat. She swallowed, her view obscured by the towel placed over her face.

There was a grunt and Brian fell against her. She could hear him swear and then leave her. What Cady heard was made worse by what she imagined. Brian grunted as she heard Erik scream in his throat and then moan quietly and repeatedly. All of that was interspersed with a sound that she knew was flesh being torn by a knife.

The bile rose in her throat and dizziness washed over her. She was so distraught and nauseated, Cady didn't hear the sirens as they approached. The footsteps as they stormed up the stairs and the pounding on the door.

"Police! Open this door now!" A voice shouted through the door.

Brian swore again, "Too soon, dammit! It's too damn soon!"

Cady struggled and tried to scream.

Wood splintered and the door burst open.

"Drop the knife!"

"No!"

"Drop it! Now!"

Cady sobbed as gunshots rang around her.

"Get the paramedics in here now! Oh, shit, man, this is bad!"

"Is there a pulse?"

"He's breathing."

There were more shouts and the garbled communications through walkie-talkies.

The towel was carefully lifted from her face and Cady blinked at the light. The face of a young officer filled her line of vision.

"Your highness?"

She nodded, tears pouring from her eyes.

"She's conscious," he shouted over his shoulder.

"Get her out of here!" Someone replied. "Don't let her see."

"Close your eyes, honey," the officer said gently. "Trust me. I'm going to take you outside where your family is and then we'll take you to the hospital. You're safe now."

Cady closed her eyes, feeling suddenly very tired.

She was carried out to the hallway where she was placed on a gurney. The tape was carefully pulled off and her restraints cut away. Cady immediately gasped in deep breaths, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Erik!" She sobbed, her throat dry. "Where's Erik?"

A paramedic pushed back on her shoulders and laid a blanket over her, "Calm down, dear, we'll get you out of here."

Cady fought against her, "Where's Erik?"

"Your parents are waiting for you, dear, stay calm, we're getting you out of here."

Cady sat up and looked around. They were in the dim hallway of an apartment building, police and medics all around. A couple of doorways were cracked open, eyes peering out to see what was going on. She looked behind her and saw another gurney but there were too many paramedics and police, she couldn't tell who was on it.

Cold air slammed into her as they burst from the building. Street lamps, police sirens, and the lights from two ambulances flooded the area.

"Cady!"

The princess pushed aside the blanket and hopped down, stumbling and running away from the paramedic, toward her parents. Keith caught her and hugged her tightly. He kissed the top of her head, feeling tears prick his eyes as he held his eldest, safe and sound, in his arms.

"Oh honey," Allura gasped, pulling her daughter to her. "How are you? Oh, dear, oh, are you hurt? Oh sweetie, you're bleeding!" Tears ran down Allura's cheeks as she looked her daughter up and down.

"Mom," Cady cried. "I don't know what happened to Erik! They won't tell me."

Keith rubbed her back, "Shh, calm down sweetie. Go get checked out. I'll find out about Erik, okay?"

She turned and grabbed his arms, "He saved me, Dad. B-Brian was going to kill me, but Erik, he did something…he made him stop. He saved me!"

Keith hugged her tightly and dropped a kiss on her forehead, "Go, sweetie, go with your mother. I'll meet you at the hospital."

"Cady!" Tristan and Sky pushed through the surrounding crowd of police and onlookers.

She turned and launched herself at him. Tristan caught her in his arms and hugged her so tightly, she swore she could feel a couple of ribs crack.

"Oh baby," he breathed. "Oh God, oh Cady, are you okay?"

She nodded and pulled back to look at him. Too overcome to speak, she hugged him again, pressing her face into his shoulder, so glad to be with him, to be away from Brian.

"Cady?" Sky's voice was low and shaking.

She pulled herself from Tristan's embrace and turned to her friend. Without a word, she pulled Sky into a tight hug. "I don't know," Cady whispered. "I couldn't see him. He saved me Sky, he saved my life and they wouldn't let me see him."

The two young women stood, hugging and crying in the midst of the organized chaos around them.

"Allura," Keith ran over. "Get Cady to the hospital, I'll meet you there."

"Please, Uncle Keith," Sky pleaded.

He took her by the shoulders, "I am going to ride with Erik to the hospital. I'll see you there."

"I want to go with him."

"No, Schuyler, stay with Allura."

Before she could say another word, Keith released her and gave Cady a quick kiss on the cheek before running to the nearest ambulance. Sky watched him and saw the stretcher just as they were loading it into the back. She gasped and clasped one hand over her mouth, the other hand went to her stomach, as though warding off a pain. She gasped and sobbed, Tristan caught her before she fell to her knees.

"Come on," Allura wrapped an arm around Cady's waist. "Let's go to the hospital, they'll fill us in there."

Tristan helped Sky into the police van. She shook and cried, unable to speak.

Allura sat beside her and wrapped her arms around her, "He'll be fine, Sky, I'm sure of it."

Gasping for breath, Sky shook her head.

Tristan helped Cady buckle her seatbelt as the van took off, sirens blaring. "Sky, Keith is going to make sure…"

"No!" She screamed, clutching her head in both hands, rocking in her seat.

"Schuyler!" Allura took her shoulders. "Calm down, sweetheart, breathe, honey, breathe. You'll pass out. Calm down, honey."

Cady laid her hand on Sky's shoulder and whispered, "What did you see?"

"His face was gone," she sobbed, burying her face in her hands as Allura hugged her.


	15. A Long Wait

Sky's movements were jerky and mechanical as she followed the others into the emergency room. She was vaguely aware of Allura and Cady being led off by a nurse while Tristan kept a steadying hand on her arm.

Keith was standing at the admittance desk talking with a nurse, his communicator in hand as Becca fed him the information he needed concerning Erik's allergies, blood type, and anything else the doctors needed to know.

Sky stopped beside him, watching the action in front of her. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized that this meant Erik was still alive.

Keith wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug as he told the nurse that Erik was allergic to filar plant extract and penicillin. She allowed him to pull her close and offer comfort, but she remained tense, bracing herself for the worst.

"Thank you, Mr. Whitaker, we'll let you know as soon as we have any information," the nurse said, turning and hurrying down the hallway.

"We'll be in touch, Becca," Keith said, closing the communicator.

Sky pulled back and looked up at him, hopefully.

"They just took him in," Keith explained lowly.

"H-he's…he's alive?" She whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, kiddo, he's alive," he looked around. "Where's Cady?"

"She's being examined, Allura's with her." Tristan explained.

Keith nodded, "Come on, let's go sit down. They'll let us know as soon as there is something to tell us."

Sky allowed him to lead her over to the waiting area. She sat on one of the hard chairs, gnawing on her fingernails, her eyes darting around seeing people in all types of distress, a television on a shelf in the corner was on a 24 hour news station.

Keith stood over her, watching worriedly as she trembled and chewed her fingernails.

"Keith," Tristan touched his arm and nodded to the side. When they were out of her earshot, he asked quietly. "Sky said his face was gone, what happened?"

"Oh, God, she saw him?" Keith asked, aghast.

"It really is that bad?"

"He was cut up pretty badly, his face and neck," the commander blinked back tears. "I…I honestly don't know how he is still alive. His face wasn't gone, but it was…its bad, Tristan."

Tristan rubbed his hands over his face. His emotions were running wild. There was relief that Cady was okay, but now he was worried and terrified for the guy who had quickly become one of his best friends. "Do we know what happened to the…the man who did this?"

"He was shot, he's dead." Keith said flatly.

"Good."

"Come on, I don't want to leave Sky alone." Keith returned to her side, taking the chair beside her and slinging his arm over the back of her chair.

"Tristan!"

He turned and saw his parents hurrying through the waiting room toward him, "Mother, Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Well, we just had to know what happened," Josie said. "How's Cady? Where is she?"

"She's okay," he told them. "She and her mother are in with the doctor now."

"What about Erik?" Vince asked.

Tristan shrugged, "We don't really know. Keith said he was cut up pretty badly, the doctor just took him back. Cady said he…he saved her life." His voice cracked.

Josie clucked her tongue and hugged him, "I'm sure he'll be fine, darling."

He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, trying to ward off the need to scream or cry.

"Cady, darling how are you?"

Tristan lifted his head at the sound of his mother's voice. Cady and Allura came out from behind a curtained off room. She was walking slowly and it looked as though her head was too heavy for her to hold up. She was frightfully pale and a white bandage was taped to her neck where Brian's knife had punctured her flesh.

When she looked up and met his gaze, he could see her eyes were red and swollen. Giving in to what he needed most, Tristan pulled her into a tight hug. He buried his face in her hair and felt the shuddering sigh that shook her body as she wrapped her arms around him.

Allura walked over to Keith, "Any word?"

He shook his head.

"Is there anything we can do?" Vince asked.

Keith stood and approached them, "Yes, actually, there is. Sven and Romelle, Erik's parents, are flying in from Norway. They're flight should be in at 8:30 tomorrow morning, can you pick them up?"

"Of course," Josie told him. "Just get us the flight information and we'll meet them there."

Tristan lifted his head and looked down at Cady. It took every ounce of strength, every ounce if willpower for him to not crumble at her feet. He wanted nothing more than to hold her to him and cry with relief.

"How's Erik?" She asked, her voice raw.

"We don't know yet," he replied shakily. "How are you?"

"Tired and sore."

"Let me take you home."

She shook her head. "I want to stay."

"Cady, honey," he cupped her cheek with his hand. "You're exhausted. Let me take you home. You can take a long, hot bath and then crawl into bed. As soon as they hear anything about Erik, your parents will call."

"I can't leave Sky."

"Your parents are here with her. Let me take care of you. Please."

She nodded.

"Come on, let's tell your parents where we're going." Taking her hand, Tristan led her over to where they were sitting with Sky. "I'm going to take Cady home."

Keith stood, "That's a good idea, hold on a second and I'll get you a ride."

Allura took Cady's hands, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"That's all right, Mom," Cady assured her. "I just want to go to sleep. I think Sky and Erik need you right now. Just call the second you hear anything about Erik."

"We will, sweetie," Allura hugged her. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Thanks, Mom."

"I love you, Cady."

"Love you too." Cady turned to Sky. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Her friend looked up at her with hollow eyes and shook her head.

Cady took her hands, "He'll be fine, Sky, I'm sure of it."

"We'll be back," Tristan promised, taking Cady's hand. "If you need anything, Sky, you know how to get a hold of us."

She nodded silently.

"All right, Tristan, Officer Williams will give you guys a ride home," Keith said, appearing beside them with a policewoman. "Contact me as soon as you get home so I know."

"We will, sir, and please call us as soon as you hear anything about Erik."

Keith nodded and turned to his daughter, "Go get some sleep, Cady."

She nodded and yawned.

Smiling softly, he pulled her into a hug. "We'll be checking in with you," he said gruffly.

Sky jumped when her communicator beeped. She unclipped it from her waistband and looked as though she didn't know what to do with it. Allura gently pried it from her fingers and sat down beside her.

"Hello?"

Darcy's worried face filled the small screen, "Allura? What's going on?"

Allura stood and walked across the waiting room where she filled Darcy in on what happened to Cady and Erik. As she finished by explaining that they were at the hospital waiting on word about Erik, tears quietly slid down her cheeks.

"I will be on the first ship off this planet in the morning," Darcy promised.

Allura looked over to where Keith was sitting with Sky, "That would probably be a good idea, Darc, I think Sky could really use you right now."

"Keep us posted, please," she pleaded. "Tell Sky we love her and I will be there as soon as I can."

"I will," Allura agreed.

* * *

By the time the police cruiser pulled up in front of the Alexander house, Cady had fallen asleep against Tristan's shoulder. Not wanting to disturb her, he carefully slid out from under her and then gently lifted her, cradling her in his arms.

Before they reached the door, it opened and Henry stood just inside. "Your mother called ahead," he explained. "I put water on for tea, if the princess would like some."

"Thank you, Henry, but I think she just needs to get some sleep right now."

"Yes, sir, just let me know if there is anything at all I can do for you."

Tristan nodded and walked past him, up the stairs.

Cady sighed and opened her eyes slightly, "Tristan?"

"Yeah, baby?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face to his shoulder, "Just making sure you're really here."

He carried her into his room and sat her on his bed, "Can I get you anything?"

"I would really like to take that bath."

He smiled and retrieved his robe from the back of the desk chair, "I'll draw it for you." He dropped a kiss on her forehead and disappeared into the bathroom.

Cady felt as though her entire body was covered in a thick film of grime. She pulled her dress off and held it up. The beautiful new dress was filthy and torn. Tears blurred her vision as she noticed the droplets of blood splattered on the fabric. Her wound was not that deep. It was Erik's blood. With a quiet cry, she shoved the dress into his trashcan.

When Tristan returned to his room, she was sitting on the edge of his bed wrapped in his bathrobe, her hands covering her face, sobbing.

"Oh, baby," he knelt on the floor in front of her.

"Why won't anyone tell me what happened to Erik?" She asked, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of the robe.

"We didn't want to upset you anymore than you already were," he replied truthfully.

"How bad is it?"

Tristan pursed his lips, knowing he couldn't lie to her. "It's bad, Cady, but Erik is strong, he'll pull through."

"He saved me," she whispered.

He took her hands, "And for that I will be forever indebted to him."

"What…what happened to Brian?"

"Who?"

"The man who…" she broke off.

"He's dead, honey, the police killed him."

"I can't say I'm sorry."

"Neither can I."

Cady leaned forward and kissed him tenderly, "I love you."

"I love you too," he stood, pulling her to her feet. "Come on, there's a nice, hot bath waiting for you and then you're going to sleep."

"Okay," she yawned.

"Are you hungry? Or thirsty? I can have Henry bring something up."

"No, I just…I just want to scrub the memory of this night off my skin."

Tristan led her into the warm, brightly lit bathroom. "I'll go get you some fresh clothes, just relax. You're safe now."

She nodded and shuffled over to the tub. The steam rising above the water was so inviting. She took a washcloth and towel from the windowsill and removed the robe. It took a moment for her body to adjust to the temperature. She leaned back against the curve of the tub and soaked, but the filth still clung to her skin. Taking the washcloth and bar of soap, she scrubbed at her skin until it turned red and raw.

Laying the washcloth over the lip of the tub, she leaned back and closed her eyes. She was beginning to feel a better, more like her old self. Cady knew she had cried herself dry, her throat hurt and her head throbbed. She just wanted to go home.

Tristan knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in," she called.

"I grabbed you some clothes," he said. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, not opening her eyes.

"I'm going to change, get out of this suit, I'll just be in my room if you need me, okay, Cady?"

"Yeah."

Tristan hesitated a moment before leaving the bathroom.

The exhaustion was suddenly overwhelming and Cady knew that if she didn't get out now, she would be falling asleep in the bath. It took more effort than she thought it would to lean forward and press down the lever, releasing the water. She sat, feeling the warm water replaced by the cool air. Shivering, she rose and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around herself. She found a comb lying on the sink and pulled it through her tangled curls. The clothes he had set on the bench by the tub were her sweatpants and Buccaneers sweatshirt, her 'comfy clothes' as she called them.

She had just begun to dress when she heard what sounded like his cell phone ringing. Holding the sweatshirt in her hands, Cady stared at the slightly ajar door. She could hear Tristan speaking quietly, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Was that her father? Was it about Erik? Her heart was in her throat as she pulled the sweatshirt over her head. She couldn't be afraid anymore, she had to know what was going on.

Stopping by the door, she took a deep breath and steeled herself. This was it. She pulled open the door, grasping the handle to steady herself when she saw Tristan sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, his shoulder shaking.

"Oh no." The tears she thought she had cried out filled her eyes with an intense suddenness. "Oh no." She repeated those two words over and over as she moved robotically across the room to stand in front of him.

Tristan raised his eyes to her, "Cady."

"No! Erik, oh no! Erik!" She was becoming hysterical.

"No!" Tristan jumped to his feet and grabbed her upper arms with vise like grips. "Cady, that wasn't about Erik, calm down. That wasn't about Erik, that was Owen, he heard what happened to you and he wanted to make sure you were okay."

His words slowly registered and she took a deep, cleansing breath.

He sank slowly back onto the bed, pulling her down onto his lap and wrapping both arms around her. "That was Owen, Cady, he wanted to make sure you were okay. He…he said he was glad we were able to get to you in time and that you were going to be okay."

Cady slid her arms around his neck as he rested his head against her shoulder, "I heard the phone ring and I saw you…you were upset, so I thought the worst."

"I'm sorry," he nuzzled her throat. "I got to thinking about Owen and Colleen and it suddenly dawned on me just how close I came to…to losing you."

She brought her hands around to frame his face and tilted it up toward her. His eyes were red and moist, he looked so vulnerable, so lost. Tears filled her own eyes as she kissed him hard.

Tristan tightened his arms around and deepened the kiss. He could taste the salt from the tears that had landed on her lips. Before he realized what had happened, he was on his back with Cady on top of him, her hands fisted in his hair.

"Cady," he gasped, breaking their embrace.

She lifted her head, "What?"

"This isn't right."

"I want to be with you, Tristan."

He reached up and brushed her hair from her forehead, "I can't, honey, I just…not tonight. Just, lay with me, Cady, lay with me and get some sleep."

She knew he was right, but the rejection still stung a bit.

"Here," he slid out from under her and pulled the comforter back. "Crawl in, can I get you anything?"

"I could use something to drink," she whispered.

Tristan leaned down and kissed her, "I'll be right back."

Cady was very aware of how alone she was at the moment. The logical voice in her head told her she was safe, Tristan would be back in just a moment. But that voice was drowned out by the huge silence surrounding her. Slowly, other sounds made their appearance as the wind blew outside the window and the clock ticked. A weight settled on her chest and it was suddenly hard to breathe.

Tristan wasn't sure what she wanted, so he carried a bottle of water, a can of soda, a bag of chips, and an apple. He opened the door and almost dropped everything in his hands when he opened the door and saw Cady sitting upright, clutching the blankets to her chest, her eyes darting around the room, her body jerking along with her breathing.

"Cady, what's wrong?" He set everything on the desk and sat on the bed beside her, taking her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.

"Don't leave me again," she pleaded quietly.

"I won't," he promised, hugging her. "I won't leave you, ever."

* * *

Allura blinked back tears, "I don't know what to do, Keith."

He looked from his wife to Sky. She hadn't spoken to anyone since they arrived at the hospital and had asked him if Erik was still alive. That was over an hour earlier. They had offered her water, soda, coffee, but she just shook her head. They asked if she wanted something to eat, she shook her head. She didn't look directly at them and she appeared to not hear most of what they said. The only time Sky had shown any sign of understanding what was going on was when a doctor came out to explain that Erik was in critical condition and that he had been taken in to surgery.

"She's terrified," Keith said. "All we can do is be there for her and give her support."

Allura ran her hand over her eyes, "I'm tired."

"Why don't you let me get you a ride to the Alexander's house, you can get some sleep."

"No!" Allura lowered her voice and stepped closer. "I am not leaving until we know when Erik is going to get better."

Keith closed his eyes. He had been the only one to have really seen Erik. There was so much blood, at first he thought the same thing Sky had, that his face had been cut off. But it was there, beneath the blood and gore, was his nephew's face. And he knew that the doctors were doing everything they could to save his life and his face.

"Why don't you go sit with her," he said. "I'm going to go find us some coffee."

Allura nodded, "Thank you, honey."

Sky was sitting in the same seat as she had been for the past hour. She had nibbled her fingernails down to the quick and was now chewing on her cuticles. Allura sat beside her and gently pulled her hand from her mouth, blood was starting ooze around a couple of her fingernails where she had broken the skin.

"If you're that hungry, sweetie, we can get you something to eat," Allura teased.

Sky didn't respond, she stared straight ahead, clutching her hands on her lap.

"Honey, please talk to me," the Queen pleaded, wrapping her arm around Sky's shoulders and pulling her close.

The young pilot shook her head.

"You know we're here for you, and Erik. He's a strong, young man, Sky, I'm sure he'll pull through this just fine. We are a strong bunch. Think of all your parents went through, what Sven has survived, all that Keith and I have lived through. Erik is one of us. He'll pull through."

Sky slowly turned her head. She looked at Allura with wide, terrified eyes and when she spoke, her voice was low and raw, sounding as though she hadn't used it in weeks. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what would happen to me if he…he… I don't think he knows how much I love him. I need him."

"Oh honey," Allura sighed, hugging her. "He does know. He knows that you love him every bit as much as he loves you."

"I can't lose him," Sky sobbed into her shoulder. "I feel like I'm falling apart."

"You're not falling apart. You're a strong woman, Schuyler, and you are going to need that strength, Erik is going to need it. You have us here to help you stay together, Keith, me, Cady, Tristan, and your mother is coming. We're going to help you and Erik get through this and you are both going to come out of this even stronger."

Sky lifted her head and rubbed her eyes, "I'm scared."

"We all are, sweetheart, but we're all here together. We'll help Erik get better and this will be a story you tell your grandkids someday."

Keith unclipped his communicator from his belt as it went off, "Whitaker."

"Keit," Sven's exhausted face filled his screen. "How's Erik?"

"They're still in surgery. Where are you guys?"

"Ve're at de airport, ve vere able to get an earlier, faster flight."

"What airport?" Keith asked, surprised. "Here? In Boston?"

Sven nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me? Okay, um, I'll send someone to pick you up now."

"No, Keit, ve're going to get a cab. Just tell me de name of de hospital and ve vill be dere as soon as possible."

* * *

Tristan was stretched out on his side, his head propped up on his hand as he looked down on Cady. She was curled up in the fetal position, her hands fisted and tucked under her chin, clutching the comforter. Every once in a while a quiet whimper would escape her lips and he would gently stroke her hair, whispering comforting promises until she calmed down again.

When she had been discharged from the hospital, the doctor offered to prescribe her some pills to help her sleep, but Cady had turned him down, saying she didn't want to be drugged. But now, as Tristan watched her as she slept fitfully, he wished she had taken the doctor up on his offer. She had woken suddenly twice already, the first time she asked him to leave a light on, the second, she woke crying.

They had left the hospital over two hours ago and had yet to hear from Keith. More than once, Tristan considered calling him, but thought better of that, not wanting to interrupt them if they were meeting with the doctor.

Cady mumbled in her sleep, shaking her head from side to side.

Tristan stroked her curls from her face and leaned down to gently kiss her temple, "Shh, baby, it's okay, you're safe."

She brought a fist up to rub her eyes as she scooted closer to him, "Did they call?"

"Not yet, I told you I'd wake you when they did and I will."

Cady sighed softly and closed her eyes again, "I heard everything."

"What do you mean?" He asked, rubbing her back, feeling her tremble.

"I heard everything he did…to Erik."

"Oh baby," Tristan breathed, kissing her hair.

"I keep hearing it over and over," her voice shook. "It's horrible, Tristan. I...I keep hearing it and imagining what happened to him and…"

He touched his finger to her lips, silencing her, "Cady, stop. You're only going to upset yourself more."

"I can't help it."

"Okay," he rolled onto his back and brought her closer so her cheek rested against his chest. "We need to come up with something else for you to think about, get your mind off what happened earlier."

"I don't think that's possible."

"No?"

She shuddered, "No."

He stroked her back, "I know this has been the most difficult night of your life and if I could have taken your place, I would have done it in a heartbeat. Seeing you hurt is killing me. I love you so much, Cady."

She lifted her head and looked down at him, "I love you too, Tristan."

"If I learned anything from this whole situation, its how much you really mean to me and that I don't ever be without you."

Cady lowered her head back to his chest, "You won't have to be."

"My grandmother adored you."

His comment struck her as odd, but she figured he was just trying to keep her mind off the events of earlier. "She's very nice."

"She told me that you are perfect for me, and I agree with her wholeheartedly, and she hoped I wouldn't screw it up."

Cady giggled softly.

"She also gave me something to give you."

"What?"

"You'll have to let me up."

She slowly rolled off and lay on her side, watching as he pushed the covers back and slid from the bed. He walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer, shifting through its contents. A moment later he returned to the bed, his right hand fisted, obviously hiding something.

"I was going to wait to give this to you, to speak to your father, to give us more time, to buy a box for it. But I don't want to wait any more. I love you, Cady, and I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always be there for you, I will always find you, I will always love you." He unfolded his hand and showed her the ring. "I know this is probably not the best time for this, but…I was terrified tonight, Cady, I was terrified of losing you, of never knowing what it was like to be your husband. We both know we want to get married, so why should we put it off? Marry me, Cady."

Her eyes widened as she looked from him to the ring and back to him.

"It's an antique, it's been in my family for generations. If you don't like it, you don't have to take it, we can go get you your own ring."

"No, it's gorgeous, I just…I wasn't expecting this…I mean after everything that has happened…"

"It's all right, honey, I know, this is too fast," he closed his hand around the ring.

"No, I just…you're not doing this just because you think it will make me feel better, are you?"

"I'm asking you to marry me because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."

Cady took his face in her hands, "There is so much to consider. You're not just marrying some girl, I am next in line for the throne, there is so much you'll have to learn. My parents will put you through the ringer."

"I can handle it."

"Nothing will ever be private or personal ever again."

"I learned that when I first told you I loved you and a reporter suddenly appeared to take our picture."

"The twins will make your life a living hell."

"They already do."

Tears blurred her vision as she pressed her lips to his, "I love you so much. Of course I will marry you."

Tristan slid his arms around her, pulling her flush against him, deepening the kiss.

"Let me see my ring," she said when they broke apart.

"You don't have to have this ring."

"I want it," she held her hand out.

Tristan handed it to her and she studied it. The band was antique gold with three stones set in it. The center stone was an emerald cut diamond that had to be at least two carats and on either side were triangular cut diamonds, a carat each, with the wide end of the triangle against the long sides of the center diamond. It was absolutely gorgeous.

"It's absolutely gorgeous," she whispered. "How old is it?"

"My great-great grandfather gave it to my great-great grandmother."

"You have a huge family, how did you come to get it?"

"I'm the oldest grandson on my father's side."

She slid it on her finger, "You still have to talk to my father, you know?"

"I know," he tucked her head under his chin.

"I just hope Erik…" she trailed off.

"He'll be in the ceremony," Tristan assured her. "Him and Sky."

Cady closed her eyes, when he held her this close, she felt as though anything were possible. "Maybe we can have a double wedding."

"Do you really want to wait two years?"

"No."

* * *

Half an hour after Sven contacted Keith, he, Romelle, and Delora entered the waiting room. The three of them were visibly exhausted and carried suitcases that they dropped as soon as they saw their friends.

Sky had fallen into a doze, resting against Allura's shoulder.

"Any word?" Romelle asked.

"No, not yet," Keith sighed.

Sven ran his hand through his hair, "How long has he been in surgery?"

"Over two hours now."

"And there's still no word?" Romelle gasped.

Sky jolted awake at the sound of their voices, "What's going on?"

"Sven and Romelle just got here," Allura told her.

Romelle twisted her hands nervously, "What's taking so long?"

"How bad vas it?" Sven asked Keith, quietly.

Not wanting to answer that, Keith shook his head, "The doctors haven't said yet. Have a seat. I'm going to hit the snack machine, anyone want anything? Coffee? Soda?"

"I'll go vith you," Sven offered, too wired to just sit and wait.

When they were out of earshot, Sven asked again, "Seriously, Keit, how bad is it?"

"I honestly don't know, Sven. It looked bad, but it was hard to tell."

He let out a long, slow breath, "How vas dis man able to overpower Erik?"

"We don't know and we won't know until Erik can tell us. The man who did this is dead, killed by the police."

"Good," Sven said vehemently. "Vhat exactly happened?"

"All we know for sure is that both he and Cady were taken…"

"How is Cady?"

"She's okay, Tristan took her home so she could get some sleep. Apparently they were both knocked out somehow and tied up. According to Cady, he was about to…to cut her throat," Keith stopped and swallowed hard. "But Erik did something to get his attention away from her, she couldn't see, there was a towel over her face, and, well, we're here. That's all I know. The police want to formally question Cady in the morning and they will probably question Erik when he's up to it, then we'll know more of what happened."

"I thought ve vere finally all safe," Sven said lowly as he studied the snack machines. "Are ve all cursed or someting?"

"I have to admit I was wondering the same thing," Keith muttered.

* * *

Two hours later, Dr. Woodhall walked slowly into the waiting room, looking for the family of the young man she had just worked on. Erik Johansson. He was so young. She spotted the group sitting together in the far corner. A young woman was leaning against an older blonde woman, they were both asleep, propping each other up. Beside them was a man who had his arm across the back of the blonde's chair, his head was back against the wall as he stared at the ceiling. Beside him was another man, obviously Erik's father, his arm around a woman who had to be his wife, she sat on a couch with a young girl stretched out beside her, her head on her mother's lap. Dr. Woodhall, removed her cap and mask and approached them.

"Erik Johansson's family?"

The two men snapped to attention, gently shaking the women until everyone was sitting upright and alert.

"How is he?" The young brunette asked eagerly.

"I'm Dr. Woodhall, I take it you're Erik's family and friends."

Sven stood, "I'm Sven Johansson, his fader, and dis is my vife Romelle and our daughter Delora. Allura is Romelle's cousin, Keit is her husband, and Sky is Erik's girlfriend."

"Fiancée," Sky corrected quietly, not sure if it really made a difference.

"How is he?" Romelle asked, twisting her hands.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat it, Erik was in very bad shape when he was brought in here. There were deep lacerations over half his face, his neck and his shoulder. There was substantial blood loss and muscle damage."

Sky gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth, fearing the worse.

"We performed some reconstructive surgery and believe he will make a full recovery."

Sky covered her face with both hands and collapsed back in her chair, sobbing uncontrollably. Allura hugged her as Sven hugged his wife and daughter.

"But this is just the beginning," Dr. Woodhall continued. "He has a very long road to recovery ahead of him. As I said, there was serious muscle damage done. It is extremely difficult for him to speak right now or eat solid food until he is able to rebuild his muscle strength and control. Don't be surprised that he loses a lot of weight, that's to be expected when a patient can't eat solid food, but he will eventually be able to put weight on and build up his strength again. This won't happen over night, we're talking several months of recovery and therapy."

Sky found herself feeling very tired all of a sudden. The relief that came with knowing he would be all right completely wiped out all the adrenaline she had been running on. The doctor's words were barely making an impression on her. _He's alive!_ She thought over and over. _He's alive!_

"He is in a lot of pain," Dr. Woodhall explained. "He is heavily medicated and will be on pain medication for a while. You will need to be patient with him, keep in mind, he was very nearly scalped and his face almost peeled off completely."

Romelle gasped and let out a loud, choking sob. Keith scowled, the doctor could have left that description out.

"He will be scarred, but a lot of it will be able to be corrected with plastic surgery."

"But he's going to be okay?" Sky said, almost dreamily.

"Yes, he will be able to lead a complete life despite the fact that he has lost sight in his left eye."

"Vhat?" Sven asked, not quite sure he had heard her correctly.

"Erik lost the sight in his left eye and we were unable to correct it. I'm sorry, but even if he were to regain some sight, it would never be more than shadows. He is legally blind in his left eye."

Silence crashed down on their jubilant celebration. Sven buried his face in his hands as Sky cried quietly.

Dr. Woodhall was surprised by their reactions, "He will still be able to lead a full life, he can do just about anything a sighted person can do."

"Except fly," Sven murmured.


	16. Worries, Thoughts, And Memories

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay, but my computer completely died last week. After a small memorial service, I ordered a new computer, then I had to wait for it to arrive, etc...

Any way, thanks for the great reviews, I really appreciate them and I hope this story continues to live up to your expectations. Hopefully I'll be able to update more quickly now.

Enjoy,  
Failte

* * *

Sven slowly raised his head, looking as though he had aged ten years in the last five minutes. "Does he know?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion. 

Dr. Woodhall shook her head, "No, he's in recovery right now. Considering all the medication he is on and depending on how coherent he is when he wakes up, he might not fully understand the extent of his injuries at first."

"I vant to be de von to tell him."

"I don't know if that would be a good idea," she said carefully.

Sven stepped closer to her, towering over the doctor by a good head, "I am de only von who knows just vhat he is going through. I vill be de von to talk to him."

Romelle moved closer to her husband, offering him support with a gentle hand on his back.

Dr. Woodhall sighed resignedly, "Before you speak to him, I think we should talk and make sure _you_ fully understand his condition so you can explain it to him."

He nodded, "I vould appreciate dat."

Sky appeared at his side, "When can we see him?"

"Not tonight, he's in recovery and I don't expect him to be up for visitors until tomorrow. I would suggest you all go home and get some sleep, come back tomorrow, visiting hours start at 8:00."

Sky stared at the doctor, her mouth opened in surprise. She had assumed they would be allowed to see him, or at least she would be able to.

"Come on, sweetie," Allura wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "He's going to be okay, you can calm down now. You need to rest, you'll do Erik no good if you're worn out. You'll see him in the morning."

"I'm going to get us a ride out of here and call Arus," Keith whispered to his wife.

* * *

Tristan jolted out of a light doze as his communicator sounded. He quickly grabbed it from the bedside table and stood, flipping it open and whispering, "Yeah?" 

"Tristan?"

He looked over and watched Cady sigh in her sleep and turn over. Not wanting to wake her, he moved out into the hall, "Yes, sir. How's Erik?"

Keith filled him in on everything Dr. Woodhall had told them, his voice was monotone and strained.

"How is he taking all this?" Tristan asked.

Keith shook his head, "He doesn't know yet, he's still in recovery. We'll be coming back tomorrow during visiting hours to see him."

"Does this mean he has to give up flying Black?" Tristan asked.

"Most likely. But otherwise, he's going to be fine, and that is the most important thing. I have a huge favor to ask, Tristan, it's too late to get a hotel room, would it be all right if Sven, Romelle, and Delora came to the house tonight?"

"Oh, of course sir, you don't even have to ask. They are more than welcome to stay as long as they need to. Do you need a ride?"

"I already called for a couple of taxis, we'll be there in an hour."

"I'll make sure beds are made up, I'm sure you guys are ready to drop."

Keith nodded, "I don't even know how Sky is still standing right now. How's Cady?"

"She's fine, she finally fell asleep."

Keith's jaw twitched as he fought back the urge to ask Tristan where he was sleeping, but now was not the time to discuss that. He knew Cady wasn't up to doing anything inappropriate and he knew that Tristan loved his daughter too much to try and take advantage of her when she was in this condition. If he was going to be totally honest, Keith had to admit that he was glad Cady wasn't alone, that she was being taken care of. "Okay, Tristan, we'll be there soon. Thank you, for everything. I don't know how we're going to be able to repay your family for their kindness."

"There's nothing to repay, sir. I'm just so glad Cady's safe and Erik is going to get better," Tristan replied.

"Me too. We'll see you soon."

After Keith ended the communiqué, Tristan turned and slipped back into his room. He knew he had promised to wake Cady and tell her as soon as he heard from Keith, but as he stood over her and watched her sleep peacefully, he was hesitant to wake her.

As though she could sense him watching her, Cady turned her head and slowly opened her eyes, "Who was that?"

"That was your father," Tristan explained, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes, "How's Erik?"

"He's going to live and, for the most part, he'll be fine."

"What do you mean?"

"He was badly cut and there will be scaring on the left side of his face and neck, but most of that can be fixed in the future with plastic and reconstructive surgery. "

Cady let out a breath of relief, "So he is going to be okay."

"He has a long recovery ahead of him and he lost sight in his left eye."

"He's blind?"

"In one eye."

She looked down at the comforter and plucked at the edge, "I, uh, I guess this means he can't fly."

"No he can't, but you know everything will be done to help him. I bet Sven is already looking into optical experts."

"I know."

Tristan slid his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close, "He's going to be fine, Cady, with time he will be back to normal. We are so lucky to have the two of you back, safely."

"When can we see him?"

"They're going tomorrow for visiting hours, but I think you should just take it easy tomorrow, just rest."

"No, I want to see him. How's Sky?"

"Keith said she was tired, but I'm sure she's fine now that she knows he is going to be all right. You've had quite an ordeal, I would really like for you to just rest tomorrow."

Cady narrowed her eyes, "I know exactly what kind of ordeal I've had, Tristan, I don't need you to remind me. I am going to see Erik tomorrow, you don't have to come, I'll just go with my parents." She pulled herself from his embrace and flopped onto the bed, her back to him.

He took her shoulder and gently forced her onto her back so he could see her face. She glared at him like an angry child who had just been sent to bed early, her eyes narrowed and her mouth set in a defiant line.

"Cady," Tristan forced his voice to stay steady, speaking through clenched teeth. "Don't you dare pull this 'spoiled Princess' crap on me. I had a rather difficult ordeal this evening as well, my God, Cady, you could have died tonight. You'll have to forgive me for feeling a little overprotective of the woman I love when she was almost torn from me in the most horrific way imaginable."

Her expression softened as she raised her hand to gently caress his cheek, "I'm sorry, Tristan, I know this has been difficult for you too. I just…I'm not going to break. I want to see Erik, I _need_ to see Erik. He nearly died saving me. I have to see for myself that he is going to be okay, I need to…to thank him."

"He's not going to be real coherent, it'll be a couple of days before you can talk to him."

"I know, I just want to see him for myself and I need to be there for Sky."

"You're a good person," he whispered, softly kissing her forehead. "Just promise me you'll take it easy, don't over exert yourself."

She nodded.

"And will you let me take care of you?"

"I don't know if I really need to be taken care of, but you can look out for me."

Tristan smiled, "Deal."

"Where is everyone now?"

"They're heading back, speaking of which, I need to go make sure there are beds made up for them." Tristan stood and stretched. "Go back to sleep."

"I should go back to my room, if my parents found me in here…"

He stopped her by pressing his finger to her lips, "Don't worry about that. Your parents had to know I wouldn't leave you alone tonight. Just relax, get some sleep. I will be right back. You have your communicator, if you need anything, anything at all, call me."

She nodded.

"Get some sleep, hon."

Yawning, Cady slid back down into the soft warmth of his bed, "Yes, sir."

Tristan chuckled softly, "Smartass."

"Are you hitting on me?" She mumbled.

"Always," he kissed her forehead one more time before slipping from the room.

* * *

Declan was worried. Well, they had all been worried from the moment they had heard about Erik and Cady. But the worry that was weighing on his mind was different. Some strange things had been happening. Strange things that he hadn't mentioned to anyone, not Lance, not Brina, not even Gideon. 

It had started the previous day, before they had even heard what had happened to his sister and cousin. The Force members who were still on the planet were out practicing. Just a simple run, going over formations and a few races over the flatlands. Nothing out of the ordinary. But Declan began to notice that Blue was behaving strangely. She wasn't responding to him as well or as quickly as she normally did. He tried speaking in soothing tones and then tried overpowering her hesitation, but she seemed unsure about his commands.

When they arrived back at the castle, Declan took Blue to the workshop and told Hunk about the problems he had had. After doing a complete once over, Hunk could find nothing wrong with Blue, she was in top working condition.

Keith called them a while later and told them all what had happened to Cady and Erik. Declan guessed that Blue was worried about their Commander. It was no secret that the Voltron Lions were magical, had personalities of their own. So maybe Blue knew something had happened and was upset.

_But that didn't make sense_, he thought. _Wouldn't the other Lions have been behaving strangely too?_

No one had flown Black that afternoon so he decided to go visit the monument and see if he could see how Black was feeling. But he was on duty after dinner, so he had to put off his walk until later.

The others had noticed how quiet and introverted Declan had become. Gideon tried to pull him out in different ways, like pulling his chair out from beneath him as he sat down at dinner. Everyone else had laughed, but Declan just stood, grabbed the chair and sat at the table, behaving as though it had never happened. After dinner, Gideon asked him what was wrong, but Declan just shrugged and assured him he was fine.

While on duty, Brina sneaked into Castle Control to check on him. She tried to talk, but all his responses were one word answers or just grunts. Thinking she could use the female wiles that always worked on him before, she wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and laid the other on his chest as she pressed her lips to his in a deep, drawn out kiss. When they broke apart, he smiled softly, but didn't say anything.

Assuming he was worried about his sister and Erik, she gave him a peck on the cheek and a reassurance that they would be fine and left him to work. She went straight to Gideon's room to ask his advice on how to bring Declan out of this uncharacteristic funk. Neither was quite sure what to do.

By the time he was relieved, Declan was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He quickly decided that he would check on Black first thing in the morning and trudged to his room, passing Brina's door without stopping to get his customary good-night kiss, not realizing that worried his girlfriend even more. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

Then came the dream.

**Declan stood beside the lake, barefoot, the water gently lapping at his feet. It was late afternoon, the sun just starting to set, turning the sky a watercolor painting of pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows. A breeze swirled around him, stirring the leaves and causing a chill to race down his spine. He wrapped his arms around himself wondering why he hadn't worn a jacket. **

**"Declan."**

**He turned at the sound of a woman calling him, half expecting to see Brina. He was surprised to see a classically beautiful woman about his mother's age standing by the edge of the woods. Her hair was a dark blonde and fell to her waist in a shining curtain. Dressed in a long, flowing white dress that hung still, even with the chilling breeze blowing, her hands were clasped in front of her as she watched him. Her blue eyes were kind and her face sweet. He had never met her before, but he knew immediately who she was.**

**"Grandmother."**

**Smiling, Queen Arianna raised her hand and beckoned him closer.**

**Without hesitation, Declan jogged up the gentle slope and toward his grandmother. She waited patiently, her smile growing a bit more as he came closer.**

**"Declan," her voice was a little deeper then his mother's, but soothing. She laid her hand on his cheek. "I am so proud of you and your brothers and sisters, both Grandfather Alfor and I are so proud of you all. We have been with you from the moment you were born, watching you, guiding you."**

**He nodded, too stunned to speak.**

**"You are a strong, smart young man and you will do so much and go so far. Although, it wouldn't hurt for you to behave yourself once in awhile."**

**Declan grinned, "I'll try."**

**"I know you will, sweetheart." She dropped her hand and turned. Looking once over her shoulder at him, she disappeared into the woods.**

**"Wait!" Declan called. "Grandmother, wait! I have so many questions."**

**But she didn't return.**

**He took a hesitant step toward the trees, paused, and then took off at a run. He hadn't known where she had gone, but he knew where he needed to go. Dodging branches and jumping over exposed roots, Declan hurried through the woods. **

Then the trees were gone.

**  
With a suddenness that shocked him, the trees disappeared. He was in a clearing he had never seen before. Looking left and then right, he saw no one, he was alone. His shoulders sank with the realization. He was alone.**

**Declan turned to head back to the castle. **

**The hairs rose on the back of his neck. Turning slowly, he looked back at the clearing and gave a small cry of surprise when he saw Black sitting in the field, watching him.**

**"You will do so much and go so far." His grandmother's voice echoed around him.**

Declan woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, gasping for breath. His first thought had been that Erik had died. And in that moment, he covered his face and cried for his teammate, his cousin, his friend.

Falling back against the pillows, he threw his arm over his eyes and tried to regain his composure. He had to be up in three hours for practice and he had to be ready for whatever it was that came at him.

His communicator beeped, yanking him from his troubled thoughts.

"Whitaker." Declan croaked.

"Get to Castle Control now, gang," Lance replied. "Keith has called in and wants to talk to all of us."

"Hi everyone," Keith greeted them when they all gathered around the monitor. "I have good news and bad news."

Declan leaned closer, noticing how pale and old his father looked.

"What is it?" Lance asked.

Keith filled them all in on Cady and Erik's ordeal and Erik's condition. His voice was hoarse and he stopped more than once to clear his throat and rub his eyes. "With time Erik should be fine," he explained. "I am going to speak with Becca about looking in to specialists to help him. But it will be a long time before he can fly again, if he _can_ ever fly again."

The only sound in Castle Control was that of Brina's quiet sniffles. Everyone else stared dumbly at the monitor, unsure what to think.

"But…but he's alive?" Declan asked quietly.

"Yeah, son, he's alive."

"When will he be able to come home?" Gideon asked.

Keith shrugged, "He's in recovery, we will probably know more tomorrow."

"Keep us posted," Lance said.

"Definitely." Keith looked over his shoulder and then back at the screen. "Our cabs are here. I'll call you all tomorrow and fill you in on what we know."

"Thanks Keith. Uh, Darcy is leaving first thing in the morning," Lance told him. "Tell Sven and Romelle that if there is anything we can do, just ask. And tell Sky…tell her we love her and we're thinking of her."

"Will do. Good night, gang."

And the screen went black.

* * *

Sky was suddenly very tired. Her legs felt like lead, she couldn't lift her arms, and her eyes were unable to focus. She didn't know where she was going, just allowing Allura to lead her. But as tired as she was physically, mentally she was running wild. _Erik is alive, he'll be okay. _She thought._ We'll be okay. But he can't fly, that's going to devastate him. What is this going to do to him? _

Erik was a laid back, easy going guy and Sky loved that about him. He kept her grounded. But she also knew that below his easy going exterior, he was a passionate man, passionate about many things, his planet, his family, and his relationship with her, but especially his love of flying. When he had first received his calling to be Black's pilot, he had confided in her how intimidated he was, it was a huge undertaking. But from the first moment he had flown the giant metal Lion, all of the nerves and intimidation faded away. It had been like coming home, he had told her.

"As silly as it may sound," he had said, blushing slightly. "It feels like almost like Black was made just for me. As soon as I sat down, I knew where everything was, I was comfortable, and I was happy."

Sky hadn't thought it was silly, she knew exactly how he felt, she had felt it with Red.

"Schuyler, honey," Allura said softly, interrupting her thoughts. "We're here, come on, let's go inside and get some sleep."

Wordlessly, Sky followed her out of the car.

The door opened as the six of them approached. Henry stood at attention. Sky looked at her watch, a little surprised that he was there to meet them at almost three in the morning. Just inside the door was Josie, looking fresh and concerned in her pale blue silk robe, and Tristan beside her.

Josie fussed over them all, offering tea or a snack, which they all turned down. Taking the hint, Josie showed Romelle and Sven to the den where the couch had been pulled out and made up for them. Tristan and Henry took the others upstairs.

"How's Cady doing?" Allura asked.

"She's fine," Tristan assured her. "She's sleeping now, but she did say she wanted to go to the hospital with you tomorrow."

"She should take the day to rest," Keith muttered.

"That's what I said, maybe she'll listen to you."

Delora was going to share a room with Sky. The young girl followed her as she turned left and walked down the dimly lit, loudly silent hall.

"Is this your room?" Delora whispered hoarsely when Sky stopped in front of Erik's door.

"No, uh," Sky shook her head. "I just…I want to be alone, Lora, you can sleep in my room, I'm going to sleep in here."

Too tired to ask what was going on, Delora nodded and disappeared, with her bags, through the door Sky pointed her to.

Turning the knob, Sky slowly pushed the door open as though she was afraid of disturbing whoever was inside. The room was dark, the only light coming from the half moon outside. It was, of course, spotless. His clothes had been hung neatly in the closet or folded carefully in the dresser. His trunk was turned on its end and resting against the corner by the window.

She walked over to the closet and opened it, finding his favorite sweatshirt, a worn old blue one with 'Pollux Pandemonium' emblazoned across the chest, the name of his favorite sports team. They played a sport similar to soccer on Terra called floknat. Each game consisted of four teams, four goals, one on each side of the field, and two balls. He had taken her to see them play twice the previous fall and Sky had found herself swept up in the uproar of the game and the excitement with the fans.

Pulling it off the hanger, she changed into it, the hem falling to midthigh. She climbed into his bed and sank into the comforting warmth. Turning to shut off the light, she saw that Erik had propped a photograph against the base of the lamp on the bedside table. Tears sprang to her eyes when she saw it was a picture of her taken on Arus last summer.

They had taken a day off and gone for a ride on the castle horses past the lake, through the woods, and up to the top of a small hillside. From there they could see the castle and Alforia. They had brought along a picnic lunch that Nanny had packed for them and set it out.

The two of them felt wonderfully, blissfully alone. It was hard to find time alone in a castle full of people, especially with their schedules often conflicting and the hard work that came with being both a member of the elite Voltron Force and studying at the Arusian Military Academy.

It was a beautiful day, the sun high above them and barely a smattering of fluffy, pink tinged clouds to dot the brilliantly blue sky. A slight breeze ruffled the trees around them and mingled with the songs of the birds. They talked and flirted and ate to the point of bursting. After packing away the leftover food, the two of them had stretched out on the blanket and tried to find shapes in the clouds. They both fell into a doze, sleeping lightly as the breeze washed over them. As the afternoon wore on, it grew colder and the horses became restless and they decided to return.

As Sky was folding up the blanket, she heard a telltale clicking noise and for one brief moment she had been afraid that some photographer had found them. She had been used to getting attention growing up because her father was Lance Collier, Red Lion's pilot and second-in-command to the Voltron Force. But ever since she had followed in his footsteps, the media seemed to pop-up every time she stepped outside the castle. With a groan and a reprimand on her lips she turned, but instead of paparazzi, she saw Erik standing with a camera.

"Come on, beautiful, pose for me," he teased. "Work it, work it."

Still feeling giddy from the fun they had been having, Sky posed and pranced, behaving silly for the camera. Laughing, Erik continued snapping, finishing with the two of them standing close, their heads together, as he held the camera out at arm's length and took a picture.

In the end, most of the pictures had turned out embarrassing and made her blush every time she saw them. The picture of the two of them had turned out surprisingly well, they each had a copy in their rooms and there was one other photo that Erik seemed to love. It showed her from behind, looking over her shoulder she winked and blew him a kiss. Sky thought it was a horrible picture, from that angle, her butt looked big and her hair was all messed up. But he loved it, saying it showed how sweet and playful she was and how downright gorgeous his girlfriend was.

That photo was now leaning against the candlestick lamp on the bedside table in the Alexander's guest room. The top right corner was curled over and the edges worn from travel, she knew he usually had it tucked in his wallet.

Remembering back on that day, Sky felt the lump rise in her throat. How close she had come to losing ever having another day like that with him. She turned her face into the pillow as the sobs that had been locked in her chest, weighing on her heart, burst out and she cried herself into a fitful sleep.

* * *

Tristan woke a few minutes after seven to find his bed empty. He got up and quickly showered and dressed and went in search of Cady. The sounds of voices led him to the dining room where she was eating with her parents, his parents, Sky, and Sven's family. Apparently, he was the last one up. 

His eyes swept the table and noticed that no one had really touched the food. They were all speaking in low tones and talking only when absolutely necessary. Exhaustion and emotional strain was obviously wearing on them all.

Josie smiled when he entered the room, "Good morning, darling. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yes, Mother. Thank you," he mumbled, almost afraid to speak out loud. He pulled out the last available chair across from Cady who offered him a weak smile as he sat and Henry set a plate in front of him.

She looked more rested, but still pale as she pushed the eggs around on her plate.

Sky looked at her watch impatiently.

"Once Tristan eats, we can head over to the hospital," Keith announced.

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, Tristan shoveled a few forkfuls of food into his mouth and chased it with two big gulps of coffee, "We can go any time."

"Don't hurry, dear," Allura assured him.

"No, you can go ahead and hurry," Sky muttered. She jumped when someone kicked her under the table.

Tristan stood, "No, really, I'm not that hungry, let's go."

They took three cars, Henry driving Sven, Romelle, and Delora, Vince driving Josie, Keith, and Allura, and Tristan following them with Cady and Sky. It was a quiet ride, no one speaking, not really knowing what to say. Tristan fought the urge to turn on the radio to cover the silence, afraid it would annoy Sky who was sitting in the back seat, staring out the window and nibbling on her already too short fingernails.

His eyes shifted to Cady again. She was staring out the window, watching the landscape pass by. Her left hand kept clutching and then releasing and smoothing her skirt in a reflexive movement. He did a doubletake when he noticed her fingers were bare. Leaning forward a little he saw her right hand was also bare.

_Where's the ring?_ Tristan thought. _Of course she isn't wearing it, what was I thinking? This was really bad timing. I can't believe I actually proposed to her right after she was kidnapped and while her cousin was in the hospital. I am such an idiot. Why couldn't I wait? I never do anything impulsive, why? Because you always regret it when you do something impulsive._

Cady jumped in her seat when she heard Tristan smack the steering wheel with his hand. She looked over and saw him gripping the wheel and glaring angrily through the windshield. Thinking he was worried about Erik, she reached over and gently squeezed his knee.

He flashed her a tight smile and patted her hand.

They followed Vince's Jaguar into the visitor's parking lot, finding three spots near each other. Wordlessly, they all trudged into the lobby.

"Ve're here to see Erik Johansson," Sven told the nurse on duty.

"Johansson," she murmured, typing it into the computer. "Is that with one 's' or two?"

"Two."

"Um hm."

"Come on," Sky muttered.

"I have a note on his file," the nurse said. "Dr. Woodhall would like to speak with Sven Johansson before he sees Erik. I take it that's you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll page her and let her know you're here. You can head on up to the third floor nursing station, Dr. Woodhall will meet you there. The elevator is at the end of this hall, take it to the third floor and turn right. You can't miss the nurse's station."

Sven nodded, "Tank you."

Dr. Woodhall was standing at the nurse's station reading over a file when they arrived. She looked up and greeted them with a grim smile as they approached. "You arrived just in time. I'm off duty in ten minutes and my replacement just got here. I'd like to speak with you, Mr. Johansson, before you see your son."

"How is he?" Romelle asked.

"He's awake, but heavily medicated. He has been able to communicate using hand gestures, his right hand and arm are uninjured. When he's feeling a little stronger I think we'll be able to get him a pen and paper and he can communicate that way until he is able to speak more clearly." The doctor explained.

Appearing impatient, Sven stepped closer to the woman, "I'd like to see my son."

Dr. Woodhall nodded, "The rest of you may wait in the waiting room over there. Come with me, please, Mr. Johansson."

Sven offered them all a reassuring smile before following the doctor down the hall.


	17. Confronting

Sven took a deep breath and followed Dr. Woodhall into his son's room. She had spent the last five minutes explaining to him just what was wrong with Erik. It didn't look good. The retina had been detached and the optic nerve severed. He would never be able to see out of his left eye again. As for his face, there would always be some scarring, but with time and surgery, it would lessen. For now, Erik was very weak and needed time to recover his strength.

He, in turn, explained to the doctor why he wanted to tell Erik. Sven knew all too well what it was like to be injured and unable to continue the career you loved, the life you loved. He wanted to be the one to tell Erik that his life was not over, it was just going to change.

Dr. Woodhall lowered her voice and tried to prepare him for what he was about to see. "Please understand that your son has sustained some serious injuries. He does not look well, I just want you to be prepared for what you are going to see. His head was shaved and more than half of his head is wrapped in bandages. He can see clearly with his right eye and can gesture with his right hand. Just be patient with him. I'll go in first and speak with him, then I'm off."

Sven nodded, swallowing hard and mentally preparing himself for what he might see.

Dr. Woodhall pushed open the door and spoke loudly and clearly, "Hi Erik, how're you doing?"

Sven sucked in a sharp breath. His son was lying in the bed furthest from the door, the other bed was empty. A white sheet and beige blanket were pulled up to Erik's chest, under his arms. All Sven could see were the thick white bandages that were wrapped around his head and diagonally across his face. His right eye, part of his nose, and only half his mouth were uncovered. His skin was blotchy and swollen with fresh scars peeking out from the edge of the bandages. The white gauze was wrapped down around his neck and over his left shoulder where his arm and hand were also bandaged. A heart monitor beeped and an IV dripped into the back of his left hand. As Sven watched, Erik lifted his right hand and weakly gave a thumbs up.

Dr. Woodhall smiled, "That good, huh? You have a visitor."

Erik tried to shift so he could see.

"No, just lay still, he'll come to you."

Sven suddenly realized he was still standing in front of the door. With a heavy heart, he walked around to the bedside, trying to swallow the lump in his throat as he looked down on his eldest. "Erik."

The corner of Erik's mouth twitched, as though he was trying to smile or possibly speak.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Dr. Woodhall said. "You have the button if you need anything, Erik. I'll be back later tonight, until then Dr. O'Reilly will be in to check on you."

Erik gave a small wave with his fingers.

Sven pulled the chair from beside the window to the side of the bed. All night he had gone over and over in his mind what he would say to Erik, but as he looked down on his beaten and battered son, he found that all his carefully planned words had slipped his mind.

"D..d…"

Sven leaned closer as Erik tried to speak, "No, son, don't try to talk. Just relax, de only vay you vill get better is if you relax and take care of yourself. I'm so sorry dis happened, Erik."

Erik's tongue slowly licked his dry lips before he tried speaking again, "C…ca…"

"Cady?"

Erik raised his thumb.

"She's fine, she's here vith everyone else. Dey all vant to see you, but only if you are up for visitors. She actually vent home last night vith Tristan, she'll be fine. You did good, son, she's alive and vell because of you. Ve are all very proud of you…" Sven stopped to clear his throat as his voice cracked. "Ve are very proud of you and glad dat you're going to get better. I, uh, I asked Dr. Voodhall if I could be de von to tell you just vhat happened."

Erik's eyebrow went up slightly as he watched his father fumble for words.

"Dis isn't easy, son," Sven took his hand. "So I vill just come out and say it. You are going to get better, dere vill be scarring, but ve can get you plastic surgery to correct it as much as possible. And…and de retina in your left eye vas detached and de optic nerve severed. You are blind in your left eye."

Erik convulsively gripped Sven's hand.

"Don't vorry, Erik, dere is still so much you vill be able to do. After you get better, dere is plenty you can do on Pollux, you can finish you're schooling and help me on de ground…" he trailed off as Erik closed his eye. A single tear slid from beneath his eyelid. "It vill be all right, son, you vill be all right. Dis is not de end, Erik, but a whole new beginning, I know vhat I am talking about."

Erik slowly opened his eye and stared dully at his father.

"I'm so sorry, Erik, I really am. But you are strong and smart and you have so much to live for. You survived a horrific attack and you vill come out of dis stronger dan ever before." He squeezed his hand. "Ve vill all be here for you. Sky is here, she can't vait to see you…"

Erik's eye widened and he pulled his hand away.

Sven leaned over the bed and spoke sternly, "Erik, I know your first thought is to put distance between yourself and Sky. Don't do it. Vhen I first met your mother, I thought I vas too…damaged for her. I never thought such an amazing voman could love me, a broken man vith no possible future. But I quickly learned dat I couldn't live vithout her. My future vas vith her and I found de strength to create de life ve have now. Ve have a vonerful family, I am running de Polluxian military, and I married de voman of my dreams. Sky loves you, Erik, and she vill love you despite your scars and injuries. You vill only hurt yourself more by pushing her avay."

With an unsteady hand, Erik gestured toward his head.

"Listen to me, Erik, I am speaking from experience. I know you don't believe me, but I know exactly vhat you are going through. Don't push Sky avay, I mean dat. You still have a terrific future ahead of you. I know dat right now you are depressed, angry, hurt. But you still have so much to live for. And you have your family and friends who love you very much. Ve are all here for you and ve vant to help you."

Erik's mouth opened and closed slowly. Frustration marred his expression as he tried to communicate with his father.

"Don't push yourself, son. Just relax and rest so you can regain your strength."

Erik pursed his lips.

"Everyone vants to see you, are you up for visitors?"

He gave his father the thumbs down.

"Not even your mother?"

Thumb down.

"Sky?"

Erik hesitated. Truth be told, he wanted to see Sky desperately. But he didn't want Sky to see him.

Sven saw the hesitation, "I'll get her."

Erik waved his hand and gave his father a thumbs down.

"Too late, Erik, I know you vant to see her."

Erik sighed.

"She vants to see you."

The corner of Erik's mouth quirked up.

"I'll get her." Sven patted Erik's arm and left the room. Once in the hallway, he turned and pressed his forehead against the wall, trying to gather his composure. It took every ounce of self control to keep from putting his fist through the wall. He had thought he would never feel pain as intense as he had felt when Haggar had taken away his ability to fly and fight, but watching his son go through the exact same thing was proving to be a hundred times more painful.

Sky abruptly stopped pacing the waiting room when Sven walked in. Her heart stopped when she saw the look on his face. She had seen her father and his friends endure much over the years and she had heard all the stories of what had happened to them, but this was the first time she had ever seen any of the original Voltron Force near tears. He chewed on his lower lip and blinked rapidly as he looked around the room.

Sven cleared his throat, "He, uh, he vants to see Sky."

Romelle stood, "How is he?"

"He, um, he's very veak and can't really talk. He is communicating vith his hands. Right now he just needs rest."

"H-he wants to see me?" Sky whispered hopefully.

Sven nodded, "_Ja_, come vith me, I vant to talk to you before you go in dere."

As Sven walked Sky toward the room, Erik was mentally preparing himself to see Sky. His heart pounded in his ears as he thought of her and her reaction. He knew he must look horrible, he didn't want Sky to see him in this condition. His head was foggy from the medication, slowing his thinking process and reaction time. Maybe this was all a horrible dream, he would wake up, safe and sound, and whole in the bed at Alexander's house.

He brought his hand up, brushing his fingers over his exposed skin and the thick bandages that covered the majority of his face. Without a mirror handy, he could only imagine how bad he looked. But how could he stop his father from bringing her in here? Maybe if they thought he was asleep they would…

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open and the slow footfalls of his fiancée. He heard her quiet gasp and he closed his eye.

Sky found her feet stuck to the floor as she looked at Erik. From this angle, all she could see were bandages. He was hurt, badly. She was finding it very hard to breathe, to think. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?

Her mind was made up for her when she saw him raise his hand and waggle his fingers at her.

A sob tore from her throat as she hurried to his bedside. "Oh, Erik, oh honey," Sky clasped his hand in both of hers as her words came out in rushed gasps. "Oh, baby, I am so, so sorry this happened. But you're going to be okay, they said with rest you'll get better. I just…I was never so scared before in my life, Erik, there were about four hours last night when we didn't know what was wrong or what had happened to you. I kept imagining the doctor was going to come out and tell us you…you…you didn't make it. Oh, Erik, I am so proud of you. I am so happy you're going to be okay. Oh, honey, I love you so much."

He listened to her blubber and gasp and cry, tears coursed down her cheeks as she rubbed his hand between hers. He wanted to calm her, to soothe her, to tell her everything would be all right, but he couldn't.

Sky stopped to take a breath and noticed the corner of Erik's mouth twitching, like he was trying to speak. She leaned closer, "Don't try to talk if it hurts, honey, I want to help you. What do you need? Are you thirsty? Should I get a nurse?"

He licked his lips and worked his mouth.

She leaned closer, bringing her ear so close she could feel his breath as he whispered.

"L…love you."

Raising her head slowly, Sky smiled through her tears. "I love you too, Erik," she gently touched her lips to his cheek. "So much."

* * *

Declan looked up at the shining palace that was his home. The Castle of Lions. To everyone else it was an impressive structure, beautiful and intimidating. To him it was home. 

He had gone on a walk, hoping to clear his mind. Winding his way around the lake, through a couple of paths in the woods and found himself behind the castle. Was he ready to take over flying Black? Would he fly her permanently or just until Erik could fly again? Was he really ready to give up Blue? And what about Blue? If he didn't fly her, who would? He couldn't hand her over to just anyone.

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair and looked around, trying to find another way out. His communicator beeped and he groaned, unclipping it from his belt. "Whitaker."

"Dec, where are you?" Brina asked, worriedly.

"I went for a walk," he replied brusquely.

"Dec, I'm worried about you. Come on, I'm off this evening, let's go to the café, get something to eat and talk."

"I'm really not in the mood, Brin."

She licked her lips nervously, "Something's wrong and I hate that you won't tell me what it is. Did I do something?" Brina narrowed her eyes as she glared at his small image in her communicator, "Is there another woman? Because if you think you can…"

"Geez, Brina," he interrupted sharply. "There is not another woman. I have a lot on my mind and it has nothing to do with you. The whole world doesn't revolve around you, you know."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He was stressing out and he had no right to take it out on her. The hurt look that crossed Brina's beautiful features was like a slap across his face.

"Brin, I'm sorry, I just…"

"No," she interrupted, her voice tight. "I tried to get through to you, I wanted to help, but you obviously don't need me. The great Declan Whitaker can handle it all by himself, he can do it all, including being a total jackass."

Before he could respond, the connection was cut off. Declan immediately tried dialing her up again, but she ignored him.

"I don't need this right now," he grumbled, turning to jog back to the castle.

"Declan James."

He stopped and let his chin drop to his chest in defeat. Standing just outside the side door he was heading to was his godfather, his father's best friend. Why was it that when you most wanted to be left alone, everyone seemed to come out of the woodwork with the soul purpose of talking to you and driving you nuts?

"Uncle Lance."

Lance leaned against the wall of the castle, watching the young pilot slow to a walk as he approached. Gideon and Brina had not been the only ones to notice Declan's behavior over the past couple of days, and they weren't the only ones worried about him.

"What's on your mind, Dec?"

He shrugged.

"Something is on your mind," Lance continued. "You haven't been your normal obnoxious self, we're all worried about you and, well, we're sick of this attitude you've developed."

Declan rolled his eyes.

"What is it?"

Realizing that he wanted to talk to someone, Declan looked up at him, "Do you think Erik will be able to fly again?"

Lance shrugged, "I don't know, son, we won't know until he's better and exhausted all medical avenues. I know he will _want_ to fly again, it's all a matter of whether he can or not. Is that what this is all about? We're all worried about Erik."

"Some strange things have been happening."

"Like what?"

Declan ran his hands through his hair, causing it to stand up in untidy spikes, "Like…like, it all started the other day, Blue wasn't flying right, something was wrong. So I asked Hunk to check her out and he could find nothing wrong. I didn't know what it was, but I knew something wasn't right. Then, last night, I had a dream."

Lance laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "What was it about?"

"I…I got a calling, from Black."

Lance's eyes widened, "Are you sure?"

Declan nodded, miserably.

"And you don't want to be Black's pilot?"

"I don't know. I don't know what to think. I'm not ready to give up flying Blue, I don't think I'm ready to lead the Force."

"Well, Dec, no one is going to force you. If you don't feel you are up for the challenge, you don't have to do it," Lance assured him. "You wouldn't go into it unprepared any way. If you do pursue this, your father and the rest of us would work with you to make sure you are ready, you are prepared. Black wouldn't choose you if she didn't think you were the right one for the job."

"I know," he sighed. "But, it's like, by accepting this, it would be like saying that Erik will definitely never fly again."

"We don't know that for sure."

"And who would fly Blue? I mean, I can't just let someone take her over."

"I know."

Declan looked up at him, "Why me, Uncle Lance? Gideon would be a better choice. Or what about Sky? She is the second-in-command."

"Because Black thinks you're the best choice. You have your father's mind of military tactics and leadership. Now that's not saying Gideon or Sky couldn't do it, but she thinks you're the best choice of the three."

"But Erik is Black's pilot."

"Yes, he is, but he was also injured and may not be able to fly again, and if that is the case, then Black needs a new pilot."

Declan pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned.

"Look, Declan," Lance slid his arm around the young man's shoulders. "You need to take it easy on yourself. I know this is a stressful situation for you, don't try to take it all on yourself alone. If you ever need to talk, you can come to me anytime. I'm sure your father will be home soon and you can sit down and talk to him about your dream. Until then, relax, take it easy. We won't ever force you to do anything you weren't comfortable with."

"I know, thanks Uncle Lance."

"I mean it, Dec, you're not alone. All you're doing is making yourself sick with nerves and making your girlfriend worry about you. Try not to worry too much about this, we still don't have all the details on Erik's condition. This might all just be stemming from your worry about him."

"I guess I was just surprised to have the dream, I just assumed Erik would come back and take over flying again."

"Maybe you should go see Black," Lance suggested.

"I was thinking about doing that."

"Take a little time and do that, see what happens."

Declan nodded, "Thanks, Uncle Lance, I'll do that, but first, I have a rather angry girlfriend to see to."

"You took your stress out on her, didn't you?"

The young pilot blushed slightly and shrugged.

Lance smacked him upside the head, "You're an idiot, Dec. Go, grovel and beg her forgiveness."

"That's the plan," Declan nodded to him and entered the castle. He took a deep breath and tried to smooth his hair down as he made his way to the Voltron Force's wing. When he knocked on Brina's door, he didn't really expect her to answer.

But she did. The door slid open and she glared at him, her hands on her hips and her lips set in a straight line.

"Brina."

"Yes?"

"I, uh," he hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Brin, I was a jerk."

"_Was_?"

"Okay, I _am_ a jerk and I am really, really sorry," he raised his eyes to hers, seeing her hardened expression start to soften. "Can we talk, please?"

"Only if you promise to tell me what has had you so…distracted lately," she replied softly.

Declan nodded.

Brina stepped aside to allow him entrance into her room. She watched as he walked in and looked around as though he had never been in the room before. He walked over to her desk and picked up the picture of her and her family taken at Christmas a couple of years earlier. "Declan."

He turned to face her, setting the frame back on the desk and rubbing his hand on his thighs. "Yeah, um, I don't know where to begin. I haven't even spoken to Gid about this, I just talked to Uncle Lance, but then he kind of made me tell him what's going on. I just didn't know who to talk to or what to do. I wanted to talk to my Dad, but, well, he's a little preoccupied with other things at the moment, I mean, there is so much going on with Erik and Cady, the last thing he needs to do is worry about something I have no control over…"

"Declan," she interrupted. "_What _is going on?"

"I…I got a calling. From Black."

Her eyes widened and she took a step closer to him. "What?"

"I had a dream, about Black, it was a calling. And Blue has been acting strangely, like she wasn't listening to me and…it scared me, Brin. I had the dream before we heard about Erik and I…I thought it meant he was dead. Now that I know he's going to live, I couldn't imagine taking Black away from him."

"But if he can't see, then he can't fly."

"I never wanted to lead the Voltron Force," he admitted quietly. "I just wanted to fly."

"But if you got your calling…"

"I know, I can't turn my back on the Force or my planet. But I don't to give up flying Blue and I don't want to take Black away from Erik."

"Honey," she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You don't have to keep things like this all to yourself, I can only imagine how stressful this has been for you. Why wouldn't you come and talk to me?"

"I just," he hesitated, wrapping an arm around her. "I just didn't want to burden anyone, especially you, with this."

"Dec, you are never a burden to me. What worries you, worries me. What scares you, scares me. What makes you happy, makes me happy. I don't want you to think you ever have try and shield me from anything in your life. If we're going to be together, I want us to be able to share everything. I was really worried about you, so was Gideon. If you had just told us, we could have helped you work through it."

"Work through it?" He asked. "Work through it. Brin, I just found out that I am next in line to command the Voltron Force. I don't even know what to think. I'm not ready to command anyone, let alone the most powerful military Force in the known universes."

She tilted her head back to look up at him, "You sound like you have to do this all alone. You have the Force to work with you as well as your father and the original Force. If this is what you are meant to do, then we will all help you face your destiny."

"But…" Declan's voice cracked. "I guess, uh, I guess this means Erik really isn't coming back."

"I don't know, hon, I mean, he is going to come back, I'm sure that once he is back on his feet he will work with you. Erik will always be our friend, he's family, he will always be a part of our lives. Maybe you were called to Blue as a way to prepare to one day take over Black."

"But Red was always the second-in-command, if that were true, wouldn't I have received my calling from Red?"

Brina chewed on her lower lip a moment, "But, Dec, wasn't Sven originally the second-in-command before he was injured?"

He considered that a moment before asking quietly, "What if I give a wrong command and something happens to Sky? Or Gideon? Or…you?"

"What if you don't? What if you become a commander to rival your father's reputation?"

"The whole idea of flying Black, commanding the Force, it terrifies me."

"It would intimidate anyone, Dec."

"You really think I can do this?" He asked, nervously.

"Of course I do," she replied, stepping out of his embrace. "So stop whining and accept your destiny."

"Thanks for the support, Brin."

"Oh, come off it, Declan, you've had us all so worried about you. But you have to know that we would all support and help you in any way we can."

"I know."

"So stop your brooding and grow up."

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve such a supportive girlfriend," he mumbled sarcastically.

"Keep this up and you won't have _any_ girlfriend," she replied, taking his face in her hands. "Have you slept at all?"

"A couple of hours."

"Are you on duty tonight?"

"I was on earlier."

"Why don't you take a nap?"

"I'm really not tired."

"Declan…"

"Really, I'm fine. I should probably go talk to Gideon."

Brina put her hands on her hips and studied him. A slow smile spread across her lips as she cocked her hip and brushed her hair back from her face, lowering her voice she whispered, "What do I have to do to get you in bed?"

Declan cracked the first smile he had shown in days as he leaned down and kissed her, "I love you, beautiful, but I have to go mend bridges with my brother first."

"Yeah, I guess you should. He's been pretty worried."

"I guess I haven't been very pleasant, have I?"

"No."

"Now see, Brina, that's where you're supposed to say 'Oh no, Declan, darling, you've been just as wonderful as ever'."

"I don't think I've ever called you darling."

"I think you should start."

Smiling, Brina raised up on her toes and brushed her lips over his, "Let's get together after dinner."

"Yes, let's," he agreed before giving her one last quick peck before leaving to find and apologize to his brother.

* * *

Romelle shifted uncomfortably in the hard chair. Sky had been in with her son for nearly twenty minutes now. _Why didn't he want to see me?_ She thought. _What is taking Sky so long? I want to see him too._

Sven took his wife's hand in his and squeezed gently.

"I can't just sit here," she whispered to him. "I want to see him."

"I know, but ve need to allow him time vith Sky. She is his fiancée now."

Romelle sighed heavily, "When did our baby grow up?"

"Vhen ve veren't looking."

Cady looked down, noticing the way Tristan kept running his thumb over her knuckles. He sat on her left side and had wrapped her small hand in his larger one, his thumb moving back and forth over her knuckles. "Let's go for a walk," she whispered, tugging on his hand.

They quietly left the waiting room and moved through the hushed hallways of the hospital.

"You're wondering where my ring is," she said.

"Well…yeah," Tristan admitted.

"When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was hold up my hand and study the ring. I was so excited. Then I really got to thinking," she explained as they walked through the main entrance and out into the cool morning air. "My getting engaged is a big deal. The press will have to be alerted, there will be at least two balls to announce it and officially introduce you, and the wedding itself will be a large affair. I am going to be the Queen of Arus some day and you'll be the prince consort. This is huge."

Tristan nodded, "And this is probably the worst possible time for it to be announced."

Cady smiled softly and nodded, "Don't get me wrong, sweetie, any time you propose to me is the best time of my life, it's just that I think we should hold off on the announcement until Erik is back on his feet."

"And I talk to your father."

"He would appreciate that."

Tristan smiled down at her, "So we're secretly engaged?"

"Yup. That sounds so romantic, doesn't it?"

"Can I ask what you did with the ring?"

Cady reached beneath her blouse and pulled out the chain around her neck. Dangling beside the locket her parents gave her for her birthday a few years earlier was the diamond ring he gave her. "I am never taking it off, even if I'm wearing it around my neck."

Tristan's cell phone vibrated on his belt. He unclipped it and checked the caller I.D. "It's my mother. They just left fifteen minutes ago, I wonder what happened." He hit the button and brought the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

Cady watched the expression on his face harden as he spoke to his mother.

"When did they say they'd come by…uh huh…okay, that's fine, I'll talk to Keith…we'll probably be home soon...tell the press you have no comment…Keith and Sven said they would make a statement as soon as they had more information…yeah, you can tell them that…uh huh…I know…okay, tell them we'll be there in an hour…okay…bye, Mother."

"What's going on?" Cady asked when he switched off the phone.

"The police called saying they would like to interview you. My father told them you would only speak with them at our house, the press would be at the station. So they're sending two investigators to our house in about an hour."

"And the press?"

"They've called a couple of times, we're giving no comment until Sven and your father gives them a statement."

She nodded, "All right, we need to go tell my parents about the police interview."


	18. Questions

Hi all!

Thank you all for your patience. Things have been rather hectic on this end, but I will try much harder to get chapters posted more quickly.

This story is coming to an end soon, but don't worry, I am already planning a sequel staring the twins (as per the requests of a few readers :) )

Thank you guys for everything!  
Enjoy,

Failte

* * *

After making sure Erik was going to be okay, Josie, Vince, and Henry had returned to the Alexander home. They offered their support and promised to check in, but the fact of the matter was that they felt as though they were impeding on a very personal, family moment. Not to mention that Josie had an appointment in a few hours and Vince had hoped to stop in at the office. 

Keith and Allura decided to accompany Cady and Tristan back to his parent's house to meet with the police. After promising Sven, Romelle, and Delora that they would be back later, they followed Tristan and Cady to the car.

"Now my father offered to stay and act as your attorney," Tristan explained as they cut across the parking lot to his car.

"Do I really need an attorney?" Cady asked.

"It can't hurt," Keith said. "Just to keep you covered."

The ride back to the house was spent preparing Cady for her interview. Everyone had advice to offer, but it did little to alleviate her worries. She sat beside her mother in the back seat, nervously twisting her hands in her lap. Cady was suddenly hit with the overwhelming need to be home. The pull to return to Arus was extremely strong and she wished more than anything that Tristan was driving to the space port instead of his house.

Tristan pulled in beside a strange, dark car that was parked in the driveway. "Looks like they beat us here," he muttered.

Allura reached over and patted her daughter's arm reassuringly, "Everything will be just fine, Sweetie."

"I know," she replied. "I just want this to all be over."

"It will be soon, Cady, I promise."

Henry opened the front door as they approached, stepping aside to allow them in. "Mr. and Mrs. Alexander are in the front parlor with the two officers, they said you are to join them right away."

"Thank you, Henry," Tristan nodded to him before turning to Cady. "You ready?"

She nodded.

He took her hand in his and led them to the formal front room where his parents were speaking with two gentlemen in suits. All four of them stood when the others entered the room. Josie took charge.

"Detectives, this is Princess Cady Whitaker, our son Tristan, and Cady's parents, Queen Allura and Commander Keith Whitaker. Cady, Tristan, Allura, Keith, this is Detective Marks and Detective Higgins."

Detective Marks was the older of the two, tall and rail thin with a fringe of gray streaked brown hair encircling his head. Higgins was a few inches shorter, stockier, and ten years younger. His blonde hair cut in a close buzz and his eyes intense.

"Miss Whitaker," Marks stepped forward, a friendly smile on his face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Cady replied, habit making her curtsy.

"There are plenty of seats for everyone," Josie said. "Come in, all of you, have a seat."

Cady sat on the couch with Tristan to her left, holding her hand in his, and Allura on her right. Keith chose to forego a chair and stood behind his daughter, watching the two detectives as they settled into the two chairs opposite them. Josie sat on the edge of the loveseat, ready to watch the action, her husband sat beside her at attention, ready to jump in any time Cady needed it.

"I'm glad to hear you're doing well," Marks said as Higgins took a notebook and pen from the inside pocket of his jacket. "We'll make this as quick as possible, I'm sure you're all quite busy."

Cady nodded, "Uh, what…what do you need to know?"

"To the best of your recollection, we need you to tell us exactly what happened last night."

"Okay, well, we all went to the club for dinner. After we ate…"

"When you say 'we all'," Marks interrupted, "who are you speaking of?"

"Oh, um, well, myself, Tristan, my parents, his parents, and Erik and Sky. After we finished eating, the Alexanders took us on a tour of the club. I went with my mother, Tristan, and Mrs. Alexander. We walked around the grounds, seeing the gardens, talking. I, uh, I needed to use the restroom, so Tristan showed me to the ladies room." She paused and swallowed hard. Tristan gently squeezed her hand and she continued. "When I was…in the stall, I heard the door open. I didn't think anything of it, there were still people in the club, so I just assumed it was another woman. I remember hearing the sink being turned on and then off and then the hand dryer turned on. When I left the…the stall, I thought he had left…"

"He?" Marks asked.

"Well, I know now that it was Brian."

"Brian Sebold?"

She nodded. "I washed my hands and was about to leave when…he, uh, he grabbed me from behind. Before I could react, he wrapped his arm around my waist, put his hand over my mouth and lifted me off the ground. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. I tried to scream, but I was so tired."

"Tired?" Higgins asked.

"I kind of remember his hand felt strange over my mouth, like fabric…"

"You think you were drugged?"

"I think so. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a dark room, my arms were tied behind my back, my mouth was taped shut, and there was a blindfold on me, well, it had slid up a little so I could see with one eye and I was able to remove it by rubbing my face against the rug."

"You don't remember _anything_ about how you got back to Sebold's room?"

Cady shook her head, "I…I didn't know how much time had passed or where I was. I laid there a few minutes until my eyes adjusted and I could make out some shapes. That was when I heard someone breathing and I…I saw Erik…" She broke off as her heart skipped a beat at the thought of her cousin. "He, uh, he was tied up more securely than I was. He was also blindfolded and his mouth taped shut. He was able to push the blindfold up too, but we couldn't talk to each other, we tried, but it just came out all muffled."

Tristan noticed the tremor in her voice. Wanting to offer support, he released her hand and slid his arm across the back of the couch, taking her hand with his other. He could feel the slight shaking that was moving her body and wished there was some way he could take her away from this. She shouldn't have to relive what happened.

Cady continued, telling them about Brian snipping off locks of their hair and stashing them in a box. The detectives shared a look when she told them that. She went on, her voice growing quieter as she explained how she tried talking to Brian, how he had placed the towel over her face and that she couldn't see, but she could hear how Erik had tried to stop Brian and she could hear what Brian was doing to Erik, even though she had no idea how bad it was until much later.

Neither detective interrupted her as she relayed her story. They both watched as the tears filled her eyes, but she blinked rapidly, not allowing any to fall. She was obviously a strong young woman who had undergone a horrible ordeal. They were both very impressed with her poise and her ability to recall the previous evening's events clearly.

Higgins flipped through the pages of notes he had taken throughout the interview. Marks glanced at him and then turned back to the princess, "Your highness, thank you very much for your time. I believe we have enough information from you. If there is anything at all that you remember, or any questions, here's my card, don't hesitate to call."

Cady nodded and accepted the card he offered, "Thank you."

Higgins glanced at his notes before asking, "Mr. Johansson is still in the hospital?"

"Yes," Keith replied. "He is going to be laid up for quite a while, I'm not sure he will be of much help right now, he can only communicate with basic 'thumbs up/thumbs down' gestures."

Marks nodded as he and Higgins stood. "We'll be in touch," he said. "When he is able to, we would like to speak with Mr. Johansson."

"We'll see what we can do," Keith promised, coming around the couch to shake hands with the two detectives.

Taking the hint, everyone else stood, Tristan keeping a protective arm around Cady's waist. They bade the detective goodbye and watched as Vince escorted the two men to the front door, speaking in hushed tones as they left the room.

Allura patted her daughter's arm, "You did wonderfully, dear, and now it's all over."

Tristan squeezed her shoulders and flashed her a reassuring smile.

Cady looked over her shoulder at her father, "Can we go back to the hospital now?"

"Sure."

* * *

Sky sat beside Erik's bed as he slept. Not more than five minutes after she had sat down, he had drifted off to sleep. His one visible eye was closed and his chest rose and fell rhythmically. She still clasped his hand tightly in hers, watching him. His skin was blotchy and bruised, the bandages bright white. The heart monitor beside the bed beeped steadily, as she studied him. 

Sky had no idea how much time had passed, nor did she care. Erik was alive and he was going to be well. Relief had washed over her and dried her tears. Now she was thinking of their future. She was going to have to find out how long he would have to stay here, when could they return to Arus? Becca could take care of him. If he needed surgery, they would find the best in the universe. He would be back on his feet in no time.

"Hello."

Sky looked up, blinking the dazed look from her eyes, "Yes?"

An older gentleman with a head of thick white hair entered the room and lifted the chart from the end of Erik's bed, "I'm Dr. O'Reilly, I came to check on Erik. And you are?"

"I'm, uh, I'm Sky Collier," she stood, still holding Erik's hand.

"You're a friend of his, I take it?"

"His girlfriend, well, fiancée now."

"Recently?"

"Yes, a couple of weeks."

"Well, congratulations," he moved around and took Erik's hand from hers, checking his pulse. "We'll have to see what we can do to get Erik back on his feet soon so he can take you out on the town."

"I'd appreciate that," Sky replied quietly.

Dr. O'Reilly smiled at her, gently laying Erik's arm back on the bed. "I am going to ask you to do a favor for me."

"Yes?"

"As you know, Erik is going to need some reconstructive surgery. They did a good job last night, but I believe he is going to need a few more operations. In order to help us, can you please find some recent photographs for us to use as a guideline? I'll personally make sure the pictures are returned to you, but it would be helpful to us if we could see what he looked like before this incident occurred."

Sky looked up as the door opened and a nurse entered with a tray of supplies. "Yeah, I can…I can do that."

"Good, good, thank you dear. Now, if you'll excuse us, Nurse Raines and I are going to check his wounds and replace the bandages."

Sky looked down at Erik, hesitant to leave him.

"I'll come and talk to you when we're done here," the doctor assured her. "But I think it would be best if you left the room for now."

Sky nodded stiffly and left the room, knowing she wasn't ready to see what was beneath the bandages. She made her way to the waiting room where his family was still seated.

"How is he?" Romelle asked.

"He's sleeping," Sky told her, sitting in the chair beside Delora. "He fell asleep a few minutes after I got in there. Dr. O'Reilly just kicked me out so he could check his…injuries."

"I would like to go in and see him then," Romelle said.

Sky nodded, resting her head back against the wall. "Dr. O'Reilly also asked me to get together some recent pictures of him, a sort of guideline for when they next operate on him."

"I can call Bandor, have him send us some."

"And Tristan, Cady, and I all have pictures we've taken here, we can get them developed and see what we have there."

"Dat sounds like a good idea," Sven said. "Deir on dere vay back now, you can talk to dem vhen dey get here."

* * *

After visiting hours had ended, Sky and Tristan and Cady had gone to get all their rolls of film developed. The evening had been spent with everyone around the dining room table going though the pictures, talking, sharing stories, and even a few quiet laughs. 

Darcy arrived the next morning on Terra. Keith and Allura went to meet her at the space port, Sky had returned to the hospital knowing her mother would understand her need to be with Erik.

It had become a bit of a contest between Sky and Romelle to see who could spend more time with Erik. They both arrived at the same time in the morning, then they both insisted on being in the room with him and both stayed at his bedside until they were asked to leave.

"I brought the pictures you asked for," Sky said, jumping to her feet when Dr. O'Reilly walked in.

He took the manila envelope from her with a smile, "Thank you, we'll keep this with his file and I'll make sure you get them back."

"Um, any idea when he might be able to go home?" She asked quietly.

"It's too soon to tell. Dr. Woodhall is planning to operate in a few days. Once he recovers from that procedure, he should be well enough to travel, but he will still have a long road ahead of him."

"So another couple of weeks?"

"I would guess at least three more weeks, probably more."

Sky nodded, "Uh, what operation is Dr. Woodhall planning to do?"

"I think you should speak with her about it, I have never actually done this procedure, but Dr. Woodhall has, several times."

"What procedure?"

"As part of his first round of reconstructive surgery, she is planning on reattaching Erik's retina. She spoke with him and he agreed to it."

Sky furrowed her brow, "What? Why? What will that do? With the severed nerve, I thought he couldn't see, so what's the purpose?"

"If there is a way to fix the optic nerve, if a way is ever found, it would behoove him to have his retina reattached. Erik spoke with Dr. Woodhall…"

"He can't speak," Sky hissed, lowering her voice so Erik and Romelle couldn't hear her. "What are you guys doing to him? What if it can't be reattached?"

"Oh, it can be reattached and Dr. Woodhall discovered that if Erik is given a pen, he can clearly communicate by writing his thoughts down."

"Did he ask for this procedure or did she suggest it?"

"He asked her if anything could be done."

Sky ran her hand through her hair and let out a breath, "Is there a way to fix the optic nerve?"

"There are medical advances being made on an almost daily basis, maybe, in a couple of years, there will be a way to give him his sight back. And Erik wants to have his options as open as possible. This was a decision he made."

Sky chewed on the inside of her cheek as she digested everything the doctor had just told her.

"I would like to examine him now," Dr. O'Reilly said, laying the envelope of photos on the tray table. "So if you'll excuse me."

Romelle patted Erik's hand and laid it gently on the bed. He waved his fingers at the two of them as they left the room.

Sky crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall beside the closed door. Closing her eyes, she sighed, worrying about Erik receiving false hope.

"I'm going to get some coffee, would you like anything?" Romelle asked.

Sky shook her head, not opening her eyes.

This was how Darcy found her daughter when she, Keith, and Allura arrived at the hospital. She felt her heart break for Sky, she remembered being in this situation many years ago when Lance had been hit with one of Haggar's spells that had left him unconscious for nearly eighteen hours and then temporarily paralyzed. "Hi, honey."

Sky slowly opened her eyes and turned to look at her mother. It took a moment before recognition registered in her tired, stressed mind. "Mom! Hi, how are you?"

"I'm fine, sweetie, how are you? How's Erik?" Darcy asked as she hugged her daughter tightly.

"I'm okay and he's…well, he's still the same."

Darcy pulled back and held Sky at arm's length, studying her pale face and red rimmed eyes. "Are you getting any rest at all?"

"I'm fine, Mother, really. How was your trip?"

"It was nice, but I am glad to be on solid ground again."

"Did the doctor have any news on Erik?" Keith asked.

"He said that Dr. Woodhall spoke with Erik last night," Sky said wearily. "She is planning to perform another operation on him to reattach his retina."

Allura furrowed her brow, "She spoke to Erik?"

"She figured out that he can communicate by writing, which reminds me, I want to go get some paper and a pen. The gift store should have something, right?"

"Yeah," Keith replied. "I can go grab you something in a minute. She said that he agreed to this operation?"

"Dr. O'Reilly said Erik asked if there was anything more she can do and she told him they could reattach his retina which would get him a step closer to regaining a sight if they can find a way to fix the optic nerve."

"How lucid was Erik during this discussion?" Allura asked. "He's been on some major pain medication."

Sky shrugged, "I'm planning to talk to him when Dr. O'Reilly's done and Dr. Woodhall this evening."

"Any idea how much longer he has to stay?"

"Dr. O'Reilly said at least three more weeks, probably longer."

"When are you planning to return home?" Darcy asked her daughter.

Sky looked at her as though she didn't understand the question, "I'll go home when Erik does."

"But honey, you've already missed nearly a month of training and school…"

Sky cut her off, "It's not up for discussion."

Darcy pursed her lips, she would wait until Sky was thinking more clearly to talk to her about this. She knew it would be difficult to leave him, but they needed to be rational. Darcy was sure Romelle and Sven were planning on staying, it wasn't like Erik would be alone. But that discussion could wait for another time.

Romelle returned, carrying a steaming cup, and flashed her friends a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hi, guys. Darcy, how was your trip?"

"It was fine, thank you. How're you doing?"

"Oh, as well as can be expected."

"Where's Sven?" Darcy asked.

"He took Delora down to the cafeteria to get something to eat."

"What do you think of Erik's operation?" Keith asked her.

Romelle looked at him, surprised, "What operation?"

"You don't know?"

"I didn't get a chance to tell her," Sky explained. "Dr. O'Reilly just told me."

"What's going on?" Romelle demanded.

Sky filled Erik's mother in on everything the doctor had told her. She watched as Romelle's expression changed from confusion to worry to irritation.

"Why wasn't I told about this?" The Polluxian princess demanded.

Sky shrugged, "Erik and Dr. Woodhall had discussed it just last night and Dr. O'Reilly just mentioned it in passing. He doesn't even have all the facts yet, I was hoping to speak with Dr. Woodhall about it tonight."

Romelle nodded curtly, "I think that's a good idea, Sven and I will be there too."

* * *

Declan licked his lips nervously as he looked up the massive pedestal upon which sat Black Lion. His heart pounded in his ears as he studied the giant robotic lion that had always played a major part in his life. Memories of flying with his father flooded over him. Keith had taken them all up with him many times over the years, that had always been 'special Dad time' for each of them. He was in awe of Black, terrified and excited.

"You okay?" Brina whispered, appearing at his side.

Declan smiled softly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you going up?"

"Yeah, I just…wanted to see her."

"I can join you. In Green, I mean. We can go over some formations or…"

Declan shook his head, "Thanks, Brin, but this is something I have to do by myself."

"Okay," she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I'll be waiting for you."

Declan stood staring up at Black. A breeze swirled around him as a chill filled the air. He closed his eyes and felt an electric wave wash over him as a pull had him stepping closer to the pedestal. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and he turned back to the castle, jogging up to Castle Control and into Black's entry tube.


	19. Thoughts And Dismissals

"So ve're to understand you are planning on reattaching his retina?" Sven asked Dr. Woodhall. They were all gathered in Erik's room to discuss the surgery the doctor was planning on performing.

The woman nodded, "That will be part of the procedure." She grazed her fingertip over Erik's bandages, outlining sections of his face to illustrate her point. "We need to do more reconstructive surgery here around his eye, especially if we want to save his eye. I reattached the muscles as best I could already, hopefully, with time, he'll be able to move the muscles around his eye again. Erik and I spoke about it last night. He asked me if there was anything more that could be done. I told him we could reattach the retina, it won't give him his sight back, but if he is some day able to have the optic nerve repaired, he just might get his sight back."

Erik groped the bed until his fingers clasped around the pen Keith had gotten him earlier. Seeing his plight, Sky lifted the notepad up so he could see enough to scribble a note.

Sky turned the pad toward her and read, "**I want to do it**."

Romelle leaned into his line of vision and gently touched his cheek, "Are you sure, sweetie? You know you don't have to."

Erik lifted his thumb up.

"I don't think it will do us any good to argue," Keith spoke up.

"_Ja_" Sven agreed. "If dis is vhat Erik vants, den so be it."

Sky set the notepad down and took Erik's hand in hers, leaning into his line of vision as Romelle stood upright. "If this is what you want, I'll be right here waiting for you when you come out of surgery."

He squeezed her hand as the corner of his mouth turned up.

"And before you know it, we'll be back on Arus…"

"Arus?" Romelle interrupted. "He's not going back to Arus, Pollux is his home and he's going home so I can take care of him."

Sky looked up at her, surprised. It had never occurred to her that Erik wouldn't go back to Arus with her. "But…but Arus is where Becca is…"

"We have wonderful doctors on Pollux and we will find the best specialists in the universe and have them flown in."

Sky's mouth opened and closed in disbelief, "But…but Arus is his home now, I…I thought…"

"Pollux is his home," Romelle said sternly.

Sky looked down at Erik, seeing how he was obviously fighting to stay awake. She couldn't be apart from him, not now, not when he needed her. But she couldn't leave Arus, she still had her responsibilities to Voltron and her studies. It was going to be hard enough to catch up on everything when she got back as it was, could she just leave it all to be with Erik?

"Ve'll discuss dis all later," Sven said. "Visiting hours are ending and Erik is exhausted."

They all said their goodbyes. Sven and Romelle stopped to shake hands with Dr. Woodhall at the door while Sky lingered behind.

"I love you," she whispered, peppering the exposed side of his face with gentle kisses. "No matter what, I will find a way to be with you."

She wasn't sure if he heard her, his eye was closed and his breathing even. She pressed one more kiss to the back of his hand before laying it on the bed and following her mother out of the room.

* * *

On Arus, it was a clear, beautifully calm night. But there was a rumbling in the ground. Lance stood in Castle Control and called up an image of the volcano where Red slumbered. A belch of black smoke blew straight up in the air. He knew Red. Something had upset the Lion and it worried him.

He turned to the main console to call Keith, to make sure Sky was all right, but he was interrupted when a guard handed him a printout that had just come in from the Garrison.

* * *

"How's Erik?" Cady asked when they all returned to the Alexander house that night.

Sky ignored her question and walked past her up to her room, Romelle was speaking in low tones to her husband, appearing to not have heard Cady's inquiry, and the two of them also went straight upstairs. Delora, with her head down, quietly followed the others upstairs.

Keith gave his daughter a tired smile as he handed his coat to Henry, "He's the same, but he is going to be having more surgery in a few days."

Tristan looked up the stairs and then back at Keith and Allura, "Are they okay?"

Allura sighed, "I guess we didn't stop to think where Erik was going to go when he was released from the hospital."

"What do you mean?" Tristan asked.

"Sky wants him to go to Arus and Romelle wants him on Pollux," Darcy explained.

"Oh." Cady couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What does Erik want?" Tristan asked.

Keith shrugged, "We didn't ask, he was falling asleep."

"I think the final decision should be up to him."

"And what do you think he'll decide?"

"To stay with Sky."

Keith nodded, "That's what I think, but Romelle won't stand for that."

"She and Sven can stay on Arus as long as they want," Allura pointed out.

"We'll wait until everyone has calmed down a bit before we discuss it," Keith said. "For now, go get some sleep, we're going to have to start thinking about heading home. Now that we know Erik is going to be okay, we…" he broke off when his communicator beeped. He unclipped it from his belt and glanced at it. "It's Lance, I'm going to go talk to him. Allura, Darc, you didn't eat any dinner, why don't you go find something."

Tristan offered the Queen his arm, "I know Henry has some goodies in the fridge. I wouldn't mind having a snack myself."

The four of them sat around the table in the kitchen while Tristan pulled various food from the inside the refrigerator. They picked at cold chicken, salads, and fruit. Cady put a kettle on the stove for tea while Darcy and Allura filled the two of them in on everything the doctor had said about Erik's surgery.

"I'm sure he just wants to make sure every possible angle is examined," Tristan said as he took some mugs out of the cupboard.

"I just hope he isn't going to have surgery just for the sake of having surgery," Darcy said, popping a grape into her mouth. "And I hope he isn't getting false hope."

"Well, the doctor did say he has a long road to recovery," Cady pointed out. "Do they know how many surgeries that he will need?"

Allura shook her head, "No, not yet."

"But they'll mostly be reconstructive, right?"

Allura nodded, "They will all be from here on out. They're just trying to put him back the way he used to be."

The four of them sat silently, thinking about how Erik used to be, wondering what was going to be. This was how Keith found them a few minutes later when he entered the kitchen.

"Is everything all right?" Allura asked him.

He shook his head, "I have to go to the Garrison tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Well, it seems that the Garrison, in all their vast wisdom, has decided to send Vinn to the prison on Planet Zettle."

Tristan furrowed his brow, "Isn't that only about three hours from Arus?"

"Yes it is. It is the closest Garrison outpost to Arus."

"Why are they sending him there?" Allura asked.

"My guess would be space issues. I knew they were having overcrowding problems, but I will not stand for this, I don't care what kind of shuffling around they have to do, but he will not be kept that close to us."

"How is everything else on Arus?" His wife asked.

"Uh, well, there is one more thing, Lance said Red was acting unsettled tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"He said the volcano was spitting out black smoke and there was some rumblings, like Red was upset and moving around. He said, that between his 'fatherly intuition' and his connection with Red, he thinks it has to do with Sky."

"Red probably senses how upset Sky is right now," Darcy pointed out.

"Probably," Keith rubbed his chin. "Or she sensed something else. Let me ask you this, if Erik went back to Pollux, do you think Sky would give up everything on Arus to stay with him?"

Darcy didn't answer. She knew what her daughter would do, but she didn't want to say it out loud, that would mean it was true, and she didn't want to think about her daughter living so far away.

"Exactly," Keith sighed, knowing what she was thinking. "Lance also said you and I, Allura, should call Declan in the morning. Something is going on with him, but Lance thinks we should talk to Dec about it."

"Is he okay?" Allura asked worriedly.

Keith nodded, "Lance said he was, but he doesn't want to bother us right now."

"Let's call him now."

"No, he's asleep, Lance said he hasn't been sleeping well, we should call when we get up in the morning, Dec should be done with practice by then. But I think I know what it might be."

"What?"

"If Erik can't fly Black, someone has to."

* * *

Sky paced Erik's room, gnawing on her thumbnail.

_What am I going to do? I can't just leave Erik, but I can't leave Arus either. Maybe if I talk to Uncle Keith he can give me more time off so I can spend more time with Erik. I can finish my classes through correspondence. Or I could just take the rest of the year off. I can pick up again next fall. Or maybe…maybe I should just move to Pollux. We had talked about doing that eventually, so why wait? I can take courses on Pollux and get a job flying with the Polluxian Air Force. Maybe we could even move up the wedding._

As she went over all this in her mind, she felt herself relax. It was like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders to have this decision made. Squaring her shoulders, she quickly crossed the room and down the hall to the room Sven and Romelle had moved into after she had officially moved into Erik's room, leaving Delora to share Cady's room with her. She hesitated before knocking, hearing their voices. She could tell they were having a heated discussion, but was unable to decipher what was being said. Before she lost her nerve, Sky raised her hand and knocked sharply. The voices abruptly stopped.

The door opened partially, and then all the way when Sven saw who it was. "Sky, is everyting all right?"

"C-can I talk to you guys?" She asked nervously.

"Uh, yeah, come on in." He stepped aside to let her in.

Romelle stood by the window, her arms crossed over her chest and her gray streaked blonde hair free from its tight bun falling around her shoulders.

"I, uh, I've been thinking," Sky began, twisting her hands nervously as she looked at her future in-laws. "I had just assumed that Erik would be coming back to Arus, I don't know why, I just did. But you're right, he belongs with his family on Pollux. I…I just want what's right for Erik."

"We all do," Romelle said, her expression softening.

"And…and I know now that the best thing is…is for me to, uh, to move to Pollux."

Sven and Romelle stared at her in disbelief.

"Vhat?" Sven asked after the shock wore off.

"Well, Erik and I have talked about this, I mean, we're engaged, we're going to get married. And we both know that as a prince, he has responsibilities to Pollux and we knew that we would eventually have to move there, so why not just move that up?"

"But vhat about Red? Have you spoken to your parents yet? Or Keit?"

"No, I just decided this now. I think this would be best for Erik."

Sven crossed over to her and laid his hands on her shoulders. "Sky, don't rush into a decision like dis. Romelle and I decided to vait and see vhat Erik vants to do, it is not up to us or even you vhere he is going to stay. Take some time to tink on dis, weigh de pros and cons. Talk to Erik."

She nodded, "I know, and I will, I just want what's best for him and I want to be with him."

"We know, dear," Romelle came over to hug her son's fiancée. "It's been a long night. Why don't you go get some sleep and we'll talk about this in the morning."

Sky nodded, "All right. We're leaving at seven thirty to go to the hospital, right?"

"Yup, right after breakfast."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

Sven waited until the door closed behind her before turning to his wife. "You realize, don't you, dat if given de choice, Erik vill stay vith her."

Romelle's shoulders slumped, "I know."

* * *

Allura rose early the next morning. She had spent almost the entire night worrying about her eldest son. _What if Keith was right? Did Declan receive a calling by Black? Wouldn't she know if he had? Was he ready for that? He was still young, could he really lead the Voltron Force?_

She quickly dressed, trying not to disturb her husband as he slept a little longer. The clock on the bedside table showed that it was drawing near to six, Henry might be up now, preparing breakfast, she thought. It seemed that every morning at seven, they all entered the dining room to a full feast. At first Allura thought it had been way too much food, but then she saw the genius in his planning. It seemed as though Henry knew they wouldn't be eating again until they got home in the evening. Allura knew that if she didn't cajole Sky into eating these hearty breakfasts, the girl wouldn't eat at all. Now she would have to pass that job onto Darcy.

"I guess you want to call Declan, huh?"

Allura jumped at the sound of Keith's voice. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"Of course you did," he sat up and stretched. "Let me get dressed real quick and we'll call Declan."

"I've just been so worried," she admitted. "I don't think I slept a wink all night."

"I know."

"I didn't keep you up, did I?"

"Yes."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry."

Keith chuckled as he pulled a sweater over his head, "Don't worry about it, I'm just amazed you were able to wait this long."

"Aren't you worried?"

"I think I know what is bothering him, I'm worried about how he feels about this, but I'm not worried about his ability to handle the situation. I'm just sorry that we're not on Arus right now to help him handle this."

"So you think he has received a calling from Black?"

"Yes, I do. Why? Do you think it could be something else?"

Allura shrugged, "I don't know. Declan has never been afraid to come to us before."

"He's getting older, he has his brother and his girlfriend now and having us so far away probably didn't help."

"Maybe we should plan on heading back home."

Keith nodded, "I was thinking about the end of this week."

"Maybe sooner, depending on what Declan has to say."

Keith opened the door and stepped aside to allow his wife to leave the room ahead of him. "Vince said we were welcome to use the phone in his study, I think we should do that. It will take longer to connect, but there won't be the delay we would have with the communicator."

"I don't know how we will ever thank the Alexanders for their kindness."

"We'll let their son date our daughter," Keith teased.

Allura tucked her tongue into her cheek, "Will you let him marry her?"

"I will cross that bridge when we get to it," Keith said opening the door to the study.

"What if we are quickly approaching that bridge?"

"Can we deal with one child's dilemma at a time please?"

Allura watched as he dialed the intergalactic operator, "Do you really consider our daughter's future with Tristan a _dilemma_?"

Keith glared at her over his shoulder.

She held both hands up, "Okay, okay, I'll drop it."

It took nearly ten minutes for the call to be connected to Castle Control. Hunk answered.

"Hi, Hunk," Allura smiled at his image in the screen. "How is everything going?"

"Good, all's clear. Although, Nicky does miss you guys terribly."

"We miss him too. Tell him we'll be home very soon." Allura said fondly, feeling very homesick for her children and her home. "Is Declan around?"

"Yeah, let me call him for you."

Allura sat down in Vince's desk chair while Keith stood beside her. They waited as Hunk called Declan on his communicator. A moment later, Hunk returned to the screen.

"I'm going to forward you guys to Keith's study, Dec will talk to you there."

"Thanks Hunk," Keith nodded to him.

A few more moments later, the screen jumped and Declan's visage filled the screen. He looked tired and pale as he flashed his parents a wan smile.

"Hi honey," Allura grinned. "How are you?"

"I'm okay. How is everything there?"

"Pretty much the same. Erik is going to undergo some more surgery in a few days."

"Is he any better?"

"It's still too soon to tell, but he did seem more alert yesterday."

"So, uh, when are you guys planning on coming home?"

"We're thinking about heading home the end of the week," Keith told him. "Listen, son, Lance told us something was on your mind. What is it?"

Declan glanced down at his hands clasped in his lap, "Uh, well, its…its nothing really. I've just had a lot on my mind, I mean, we're all worried about Erik and Cady. Luckily there haven't been any threats in a while, although Uncle Lance did tell us about Vinn being sent to Zettle. Can they do that? I mean, I guess they _can_, I just don't think that's a very bright idea. Are you going to…"

"Declan," Keith interrupted his son's ramblings. "You got a call from Black, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Are you okay?" Allura asked quietly.

"Yeah, I am," Declan admitted. "I'm…I'm just…a little, I guess overwhelmed is the word I'm looking for. I don't want to think that this means Erik is definitely not going to fly again and I certainly don't want him to think I am trying to take Black away from him. And…I don't know if I have what it takes to lead."

"Dec, we all know you aren't taking Black away from Erik," Keith assured him. "And we just don't know if he will ever be able to fly again. And you do have what it takes to lead, you just have to believe in yourself and that will be the hardest part of being a leader, believe me, I know. Have you flown with Black yet?"

"Yeah, we went up yesterday, just Black and I."

"How did it go?"

"It…it was strange, but in a good way."

"It will take time for you to get used to it, but we're here to help you out. Just remember, Black may be the leader of the team, but she is still a _member_ of a team. You are all in this together, don't try to take this on by yourself."

Declan smirked, "You aren't the first one to tell me that."

"I guess that should tell you something."

"It does, and I appreciate it."

"Sweetie," Allura spoke up. "No one will ever make you do anything you don't want to do. But before you make up your mind, take some time with Black and with Erik and your father. And remember, if Black didn't think you could do it, she wouldn't have chosen you."

"I know, thanks, Mom."

"Look, we have to get going, I hate to tie up the Alexanders' line this long. We'll be home before you know it, then we'll all sit down and talk about this. If you need to talk to us for any reason, about anything, don't hesitate to call us, any time." Keith said.

"I know, Dad, thanks."

"And tell your brothers and sisters we love you all," Allura added. "And we'll see you all very soon."

"I'll tell them, we love you too. Good bye."

"Good bye, sweetie."

"Bye, son."

Allura sat back and stared at the dark monitor, "He didn't look well."

"He'll be fine."

"When it rains, it really pours, doesn't it."

"It always has for us, Angel, it always has."

* * *

"Tristan! How are you?"

Tristan slowly raised his eyes over the menu in front of him and fought the urge to roll his eyes as Alexis glided over to their table. Gliding is the only way to describe the way Alexis Wellington moved, if he didn't see her three inch heels touch the ground, he would think she floated an inch off the ground.

"Alexis," he nodded to her in greeting.

She stopped at their small table, a pleasant smile on her face. When she looked at Cady, the smile faded into a look of worried concern, "Oh, Cady, I heard about your ordeal. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Alexis," Cady assured her. "Thank you for asking."

"And Erik, how is he?"

"He's still in the hospital but he will be all right." Cady knew better than to go into detail, Alexis was only feigning interest.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Alexis' voice rose and fell dramatically. "When I heard what had happened, I was just sick with worry about you all. To think, I've been going to that club since before I could walk and I would never have believed that such a dangerous person could be working there. I can promise you that my father is going to be going into that club and making sure some changes are made."

Cady looked across the small table to Tristan. He winked and slid his hand across the table to take hers.

"Thank you," Cady smiled softly.

"Do you know yet how long you're staying on Terra?"

"We'll be heading home soon," Tristan told her.

"Well, I am certainly sorry to see you all go. Please, give me a call before you leave, I would love to see you off and don't be a stranger. Feel free to drop me an email or call me any time."

Cady couldn't help but notice that Alexis was speaking only to Tristan at this point.

"Thank you, Alexis, I will keep that in mind," Tristan told her. "Please tell your parents I said hello."

She could tell she was being dismissed, but she wasn't ready to go just yet. "Maybe we could all go out to dinner before you leave. Who knows when you'll be back on Terra."

"I don't think we'll have time this time around, but we appreciate the offer. Maybe next time."

"Yes, I understand," Alexis smiled. "Then I guess this is goodbye."

Tristan nodded, "It was nice seeing you again, Alexis."

"Oh, come on, now, we've known each other our entire lives, Tristan, you can do better than that."

He glanced at Cady and then stood, awkwardly hugging his former girlfriend. Alexis didn't seem to be feeling awkward at all as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. Tristan stepped back, dropping his arms to his sides as she kept her hands on his shoulders.

"It really was good to see you again," she said, gently squeezing his shoulders. "Please keep in touch."

"It was nice seeing you too," Tristan took another step back.

"And you, Cady," Alexis turned to her. "It was truly lovely to meet you."

Cady stood and offered her hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Alexis, and I'm sure we'll see you again. Tristan and I will be sure to visit his family as often as possible, especially after the children are born."

A dark look fluttered quickly across Alexis' face, but she smiled anyway and shook Cady's hand, "Yes, well, that would be lovely. Be sure to look me up."

"We will. Goodbye, Alexis." Cady sat and waited until Alexis crossed the restaurant's dining room before speaking to Tristan. "I lied, it wasn't really a pleasure to meet her."

Tristan laughed and took her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of her fingers, "You are something else, Princess."

The two of them had decided that it was time they sneak out for some time together alone. It had been a week since the night at the club and every day had been spent at the hospital, dodging the press, and updating the others on Arus.

Keith had decided that he and Allura were going to be leaving for Arus the day after tomorrow and he strongly suggested that Cady join them. They all knew that Erik was going to be staying for at least three more weeks and he knew that it would be unfeasible for them to stay as long. Both he and Allura had work to do and he wanted Cady to get back to her classes.

"I feel awful about leaving Sky and Erik," Cady sighed.

Tristan nodded, "I know you do, so do I, but we have to get back to our lives on Arus, and you know that. Besides, Erik's family is staying as well and as soon as Erik is up to traveling, they're coming home. Well, I guess that depends on which home he is going to."

"Uncle Sven said they were going to wait until he fully recovered from this surgery before they asked him where he wanted to go."

"That will probably be tomorrow. He is getting better daily."

"I know, he spoke to me for almost half an hour today."

"Yeah, but he shouldn't push himself."

Cady smiled, "Hon, you just don't know Erik as well as I do. Of course he is going to push himself. He's Erik. He's strong and when it comes to his health, he was never very patient. I remember one time when he broke his leg climbing a tree. Aunt Romelle called my mother all upset because he had had his walking cast on for fifteen minutes when he tried walking. He stumbled all around the house, bumping into things, getting all bruised up. The doctor had told him to take it easy, it would take him a few days to get used to walking. Erik was walking without a problem within a couple of hours. He is very dedicated and he won't rest until he is back to normal."

"This is going to be a little more difficult than learning to walk with a cast."

"I know, but he'll get through this just fine, especially with Sky helping him out."

"It's amazing what a man can accomplish with a strong woman at his side," Tristan said slyly, kissing the back of her hand again.

"And just what, pray tell, are _you_ planning to accomplish?" She teased quietly.

"Convincing your father to allow me to marry you."

"Ah, well," Cady pulled her hand away and picked up her menu again. "Then you better start sucking up to him now."

"I'm not too worried."

"No?"

"Nah, I'm sure he knew I had my sights set on you when I asked to move to Arus after only spending a couple of weeks there."

"I thought it was the beauty of the planet and the magic that drew you there."

"No, it was the beauty of the Princess and the magic of her personality."

Cady rolled her eyes, "Of all your cheesy pick-up lines, that was, by far, the cheesiest and the worst."

"Ow, you really know how to wound a man."

"I think your ego can take it, honey."

"You have no idea how fragile a man's ego is, do you?"

"Are you ready to order?"

Their playful flirting was interrupted by the arrival of their waiter.

"Um, yes," Cady glanced down at her menu. "I'll have a cup of the lobster bisque and then the filet mignon."

"Very well, and for you sir?"

"I'll have the lobster and a salad with the vinaigrette dressing. And we'll have a bottle of your house white wine."

The waiter made a note of it on his pad and collected their menus, "I will bring the wine right out."

Cady waited until the waiter was out of ear shot and whispered, "I'll be glad when we're back on Arus and I don't have to watch you tearing apart and eating those giant bugs."

Tristan laughed, "Then I guess you don't want to hear about the deal I made where lobster is going to be shipped to Arus on a monthly basis."

She wrinkled her nose, "Not funny, pretty boy."


	20. Heading Home

Cady pushed down on the top of her suitcase with one hand while she tugged at the zipper with the other. She let out a frustrated groan as the zipper fought against the strain of too many new clothes.

"Need help?"

She blew her hair out of her face and looked up to see Tristan leaning against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, watching her with a small grin on his face. "What makes you say that?" She retorted sarcastically.

He crossed the room and patted the top of the new suitcase they had to buy for all her purchases. "Hop on."

"Excuse me?"

"Sit on the suitcase."

"What are you…" She yelped when he picked her up and plopped her down on the suitcase.

Tugging sharply, Tristan pulled the zipper around and quickly locked it shut. "Okay, get up very slowly, I've never seen a bag so stuffed. If it doesn't explode when you get up, we're in good shape."

Cady stuck her tongue out at him but held out her hand so he could help her down. Tristan made a big show of tugging her down and pulling her aside, shielding her body with his own.

"Okay," he said breathlessly, "We're safe, as long as we don't make any sudden moves."

She stuck her tongue out again, but any retort was lost when he leaned down and kissed her quickly.

"If you're looking for something to do with that, I can come up with a few ideas."

Cady cocked an eyebrow and licked her lips, "Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well, like this," he leaned down and captured her lips in a long, drawn out kiss, deepening it as she pressed against him.

"Ahem."

The two of them broke apart quickly to see Keith standing in the open door way, his arms crossed over his chest. "I take it you're all packed."

"Yes, sir," Cady said quickly. "All ready to go."

Keith's eyes swept the room, taking in the two trunks, the big suitcase, and three duffle bags. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Like mother, like daughter I suppose."

"We still have time to stop by the hospital, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're going to load up the truck, Henry is going to drive it over to the space port where I've arranged for everything to be loaded onto the ship. We'll head there right after we say good bye to Erik."

"Good, I want to see them all again before we go."

"It won't be long before Erik heads home," Keith said.

"So he is going back to Pollux?" Tristan asked.

Keith shrugged, "I don't think they've brought it up to him yet. The last thing they want to do is put added pressure on him. But I do know that Sven is going to be the one to talk to him about it so neither of the women in his life can make him feel guilty."

"Sky wouldn't try to guilt him," Cady defended her friend.

"Neither Sky nor Romelle would intentionally try to guilt him into anything."

"What would Sky do if he went to Pollux?" Tristan asked quietly.

Keith looked at him, "What do you think?"

"So I guess you want him to come back to Arus I take it?"

"I want whatever is best for Erik," Keith said, hefting two of the duffle bags. "Come on, let's get this stuff loaded into the truck."

* * *

"You seem so much better," Sky whispered. 

"I'm feeling better," Erik croaked, his voice dry and hoarse.

"I'm so glad," she gently kissed his temple.

Sven had taken Romelle and Delora down to the cafeteria to get something to eat, or rather that was the excuse he had given so Erik and Sky could have some time alone. He knew his son had a few things to discuss with his fiancée. Darcy had gone to call Arus and fill Lance in on what was going on.

As soon as his family had left, Erik had brought the bed up to a reclined position and shifted over to make room for Sky to stretch out beside him.

She gently brushed her fingers over his exposed scalp. "You're getting a little peach fuzz up here."

"My Sky," he whispered, taking her hand in his as she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

"What's on your mind?" She asked quietly.

Erik swallowed hard, "I spoke with my father earlier." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "He told me how you and my mother have been worrying about where I was going to go when I was released from the hospital."

"We just want what's best for you."

"I know, Sunny." He swallowed again, his throat was still raw and sore as it healed. "I want to go to Arus."

She lifted her head and looked at him. "Are you sure? You know you don't have to just for me, I understand if you want to go to Pollux, I'll go with you, I've already talked to your parents."

"When Dad asked me where I wanted to go, I immediately thought of Arus. I want to be able to help Declan."

"You know about that?"

"Yeah," he said lowly. "Keith told me yesterday. I want to be able to help him out and I want to be with you."

Touched, she bent her head and kissed the corner of his mouth, "I will go wherever you go, Erik."

"I know, and I will eventually have to go back to Pollux. But you also need to remember your responsibilities to Voltron and to Arus. If Voltron is needed, then you have to be on Arus. We have the rest of our lives to be together, but right now you are needed on Arus."

"I know that, Erik, but I want to be with you, especially while you're recuperating. When you're all better and back on your feet, then we'll talk about what happens next, where you're going next."

"I'll be on my feet before long."

"Your mother isn't going to like this."

"She'll blame you."

Sky scowled, "Yeah, thanks for that."

He chuckled hoarsely, "Dad is gently breaking the news of my decision to her now."

"Okay, if you're coming back to Arus, you are not going to lie around on your butt all day."

"Excuse me?"

"You will work out and build up your strength again, you will do everything Becca tells you to do and you won't complain, and you will let me take care of you."

"You know I love it when you get all pushy and dominating."

"Well, get used to it, I am going to go buy a whip to use on you."

"Promise?"

Sky cuddled down, resting her head against his shoulder, clutching his hand in both of hers, "Let me know if this gets uncomfortable for you."

"Don't worry, I will."

"What did your father say when you told him your decision?"

"He didn't seem too surprised, not happy, but not surprised. I also want to finish at the Academy on Arus."

"You're going back to school?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

Sky lifted her head, "I'm very proud of you Erik."

"For not quitting school?"

"For that and because of all you did and how well you're doing. I am very proud of you."

Erik studied her for a moment before bringing his hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear and touch her cheek. "Thank you for sticking with me, Sunny."

"Yeah, well, I had to. This whole love thing, you know."

"Yeah. I know. I'm, uh, I," he stopped, swallowing hard as he fought for words. "Dr. Woodhall said I will never completely be the same."

"What do you mean?"

"There will always be some physical scarring."

"It adds character."

"Character?"

"Yeah, sexy character to your sexy face," she teased lightly, touching his bandages. "And we'll have to get you an eye patch."

"An eye patch?"

"There is just something inherently sexy about a man with an eye patch."

The corner of Erik's mouth twitched like it does whenever he tried to smile. "Is this some kind of strange pirate fantasy you never shared with me before?"

"I thought I told you about that."

"Nope. Does this mean you'll be my saucy wench?"

"Aren't I already?"

"True."

Sky pressed a careful kiss to the side of his mouth again, "I love you."

"Love you too, my Sky."

"Whoa, Erik, you should have left a bedpan on the doorknob if you were with a girl."

Sky lifted her head to glare at Tristan who was peeking around the slightly ajar door. "Couldn't you knock?"

"How was I supposed to know you guys were fooling around in here?"

"They're fooling around?" Cady's head appeared around Tristan's shoulder. "Is he up for that? Shouldn't he be resting?"

"I'm always up for _that_," Erik quipped as Sky sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

Tristan laughed as he entered the room, "I guess you are feeling better."

"Yeah, Dr. Woodhall said she was impressed with how quickly I'm healing," Erik bragged.

"Did she say how long before you can go home?" Cady asked, sitting on the edge of the chair.

"She still says two more weeks, but I'm hoping to be out long before then."

"Two more weeks? But you seem so much better." Tristan said.

Erik shrugged his left shoulder, "I think I'll be free to leave the hospital in another few days, but she wants me to stay on Terra for a while so she can monitor me before I head back to Arus."

"You're coming to Arus?" Cady asked.

"Yeah, that's where I need to be right now."

Wordlessly, Sky slid her hand across the blanket and took his hand in hers, squeezing gently.

"I want to help Declan," Erik continued, his voice a mask of determination, hiding his pain at losing Black. "I want to finish up my classes on Arus and Becca has already started looking into specialists."

Cady smiled, "I am so glad you're coming to Arus."

"So am I," Tristan added. "When you're back on your feet, I am taking you out for the biggest beer we can find. I owe you, man."

Erik lowered his eye, "You don't owe me anything."

"Yeah, I do," Tristan stepped closer to the bedside so Erik could see him better. "I know we've all avoided talking about what happened that night, but I have to say something. Thank you, Erik. Thank you for helping Cady, we have her now because of you and I don't know if I can ever thank you enough or tell you how much it means to me."

"I only did what I had to do," Erik mumbled humbly.

Tristan held his hand out to Erik and waited until the other man dropped Sky's hand and took his. "Thank you, Erik."

"Yup," Sky said, kissing her fiancé's cheek. "That's my big, brave, sexy man."

"Knock, knock," Allura called out as she knocked on the door.

"Come on in," Sky invited.

Keith and Allura entered the room, followed by Sven, Romelle, and Delora.

"Hi, sweetie, how are you feeling," Allura asked as she crossed to the bed.

"Much better, Aunt Allura, thank you."

"Your father just told us you're planning on coming back to Arus," Keith said, smiling down at his nephew.

"Yeah, I figured that would be best all around, at least for now."

"I don't know about that," Romelle huffed.

Allura looked up at her cousin and smiled, "And, of course, your family will be staying at the Castle of Lions for as long as they like."

"When are you guys heading out?" Erik asked.

"Our ship takes off in two hours," Keith said, checking his watch.

"And you'll be joining us before you know it," Allura added cheerfully. "And Sky, I spoke with Captain Jowarl, the dean at the Academy, and he said you can make up what you've missed over the summer, so there is no hurry for you to return."

"Thank you, Aunt Allura, I really appreciate that," she replied.

"Everything is going to work out just fine."

Erik brought his hand up to cover his mouth as he tried to hide a yawn.

Seeing this, Sky stood, "Don't fight it, Erik, if you're tired we'll go and let you sleep."

Keith stepped closer and took Erik's hand, "Get some rest, son, we'll see you when you get back to Arus."

"Thank you, sir, have a safe trip."

Keith hesitated a moment before squeezing the young man's hand, "Thank you, Erik…for all you did."

Erik nodded slightly.

Allura was next in line. She took his hand and bent to kiss his cheek, "Take care, sweetheart, we'll be in touch and we'll see you real soon."

Cady had tears in her eyes as she stepped up to bid her cousin farewell. "Feel better, Erik, I can't wait until you're settled back on Arus."

"Me too, Cady. Good bye."

Tristan was the last one to take Erik's hand and flash him a grin, "When are you going to stop lying around like a bum? We all know you're just doing this to get attention from a pretty lady."

"Hey, whatever it takes," Erik retorted. "Have a safe trip."

"See you around. Thanks again, Erik."

The Polluxian prince waved to them, "Have a safe trip everyone, please let us know when you get back safely and…and let me know how Declan's doing."

"We will," Keith promised. "And if there is anything at all that you need, just let us know."

Sky walked out into the hall with Cady and Tristan as Keith and Allura stayed behind to speak with Sven and Romelle. "Have a safe trip," Sky whispered, hugging her best friend tightly.

"I hope you guys can head back soon," Cady said. "I'm going to miss you terribly."

"I'll miss you too." Sky turned to Tristan. "Take care of the Princess, she's a bit of a handful."

"_A bit_?" He teased, returning her hug. "And you take care of the Prince, he needs it."

"I will." Sky looked at her two friends. "Thanks guys, for, you know, being so supportive and helping me out."

"That's what friends are for, Sky, and if you need anything at all, don't be afraid to ask," Cady said, wiping the back of her hand over her wet cheek.

"Can you cheek in on Figment for me?"

"Yeah."

"Oh good, I was so afraid I'd miss you all," Darcy said as she hurried down the hall. "I was hoping to be able to say good bye to you all before you left."

Cady hugged her, "Good bye, Aunt Darcy, take care of yourself. If there is anything we can do, just let us know."

"Have a safe trip," Darcy turned to hug Tristan. "Watch out for each other and take care. We'll be back on Arus before you know it."

When Allura and Keith walked into the hall with Sven, Romelle, and Delora, the good bye hugs started all over again. They spent a good fifteen minutes wishing each other good luck, hugging, shaking hands, and promising to keep in touch. For such a close-knit group of friends, being apart for so long was going to prove more difficult than they all realized. And when one of their own was lying in a hospital hurt and recovering, the distance was going to seem even longer.

"How's Erik?" Darcy asked after the travelers had left.

"He's doing better," Sky told her. "He's feeling better, but he's still tired."

"He's sleeping now," Romelle added.

"Well, then I think, if you don't mind, I am going to take my exhausted daughter and force her to eat something," Darcy announced.

"I'm really not hungry," Sky protested.

"I am, so you can keep me company while I eat," Darcy said, taking her arm and turning to her friends. "We'll see you guys later."

"Mom, really I just…"

"Want to sit by his bed until he wakes up?"

"Well…yeah."

"I know you do, honey, but you haven't been eating much or getting much sleep, that isn't healthy. You aren't going to do yourself or Erik much good if you let yourself get run down. You need a good meal and some sleep."

"Mother, I'm…"

"I know, I know, you're fine," Darcy interrupted as they rode the elevator down to the main floor. "But you're not really, Sky. You're exhausted, don't try and argue with me, I know you. And you've probably lost five pounds in the last week, its showing."

Sky sigh, resigning herself to her mother's fussing, "Where do you want to go?"

"We can go someplace nearby, there was a diner just up the road."

"How's Dad doing?" Sky asked as they walked out into the cool early afternoon.

"He's restless, worried, and lonely."

"Really?"

"He won't rest easy until we're all back on Arus safe and sound. And, well, this is the longest and farthest apart Lance and I have been in twenty years, it seems strange not being with him and I know he feels the same way. He's alone in the house for the first time."

"But you stayed on in Toronto after Grandpa passed away to help Grandma out."

"Yes, but I only stayed a week, now I'm staying for a couple of weeks."

"You don't have to, Mom, if you want to go home…"

Darcy stopped and took Sky's arm, "I want to be here with you. And like your father, I won't rest easy again until we're all safely back on Arus."

"Thanks Mom."

"Now then," Darcy threaded her arm through her daughter's and led her to the restaurant on the corner. "We have some things to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Like you're getting married."

Sky smiled, "Yeah, I am."

"I'm happy for you, honey, I am, but I have to admit that I am very glad you guys are planning on waiting a couple of years."

"We both still have a lot to do and we want to finish school."

"That's very mature of you both," Darcy commented as she accepted a menu from their waitress with a smile.

Sky shrugged, "I don't know what the plan will be now. We'll just have to wait and see what Erik needs to do and how he feels."

Darcy reached across the table and took Sky's hand, "Sweetheart, how are you, really?"

"Really?" Sky thought a moment before responding with intimate honesty. "I'm tired, nervous, worried, relieved, and in some kind of pain I can't really describe."

"It's the feeling of watching someone you love more than anything else in the universe experience a pain that you can only imagine and wishing there was some way you could take all the pain away from him."

"Exactly."

"Are you ready to order?" The waitress asked, her pen poised over her pad.

"Uh yeah," Sky glanced down at the menu. "I'll start with some potato skins, then I'll have a bacon cheeseburger, medium well, and an order of fries and I'll have a large soda."

"I'll have the Cobb salad, dressing on the side, and an iced tea," Darcy requested, handing the menu to the waitress before turning to her daughter. "So you're not really hungry, huh?"

"Maybe I'm a little more hungry than I thought I was."

"I'm glad to see you're eating, I have been worried about you."

"Don't, Mom, I'm fine."

"Have you thought about what you'll do if Erik goes back to Pollux?" Darcy asked, almost afraid of what the response would be.

"He's already decided to return to Arus, but if he wanted to go to Pollux, I would have gone with him."

"I was afraid of that," her mother sighed.

Sky narrowed her eyes, "Mother, I couldn't leave Erik. He's been through so much, no matter where he went, I would stay with him, at least until he was back on his feet."

"I understand, Sky, but you have responsibilities to Arus and to Voltron. I didn't tell you this before because I knew you already had a lot on your mind but your father told us that Red was acting strangely, almost restless. He was sure that she was worried about you."

"If I had to choose between Red and Erik, Red didn't have a chance."

"I know you love him, Sky, but you have to keep your responsibilities straight. I'm glad to hear you're both coming back to Arus, but you can't use this as an excuse to not fulfill your duties."

"I know that, Mom, and I don't plan on _not_ fulfilling my duties. I will go home, get back into training with Red and get back to my classes. I also spoke with Uncle Keith and he is going to work with me and my schedule so I can help Erik out while he recuperates."

Darcy thanked the waitress as she set the plate of potato skins in front of them. "Has Erik given any thought about the long run?"

Sky nodded, "We've talked about it. He doesn't want to make any definite plans until he has exhausted every avenue with surgery. He is still hoping to get his eyesight back and he wants some more reconstructive surgery. He's feeling very self-conscious about his appearance right now."

"How are you handling his injuries?" Darcy asked carefully.

"It doesn't change how I feel about him," Sky insisted. "I just want him to get better and to…to be himself again. The scars don't bother me, it's how he feels about it that bothers me. Did you know that for the first few days after this…this incident he thought I was going to dump him because of his injuries. I just want the sweet, wonderful, easy going, happy man he was before."

"He's going to need some time and a lot of patience."

"I know," Sky mumbled, dipping one of the appetizers in sour cream. "And I am not exactly a patient person."

Darcy smiled, "I know, sweetie, but it will get better, he will get better."

Sky looked up and returned her mother's smile, weakly, "Thank you, Mom, I really needed this."

"We're here for you, Sky, myself, your father, all of us. If you ever need to talk or just a shoulder to lean on, we're all here for you."

"Thanks Mom."

"Eat up, Schuyler, you need to keep your strength up."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Your father and I were talking and we decided that if you're going to stay here on Terra until Erik can return, you're going to work on your class work," Darcy announced.

"What do you mean?"

"Lance is going to speak with some of the professors at the school and put together some projects for you to work on while you're here. I know you want to be with Erik," Darcy said, holding up her hand before Sky could interrupt. "And you can, but you have to keep your priorities and responsibilities straight. If you want to continue with your education and flying, you have work to do. We can't let you fall too far behind."

Sky opened and closed her mouth, ready to argue, but she knew it would do no good. So instead, she nodded and took a bite out of her burger. She knew her mother was right and it would be helpful to catch up on some of the work so that she wouldn't have to spend the entire summer in classes. There was plenty of time while Erik was resting and maybe he could help her out a bit.

"We're trying to help you, honey," Darcy added. "We just want what's best for you and Erik."

"Yeah, I know, thanks Mom, we really appreciate it. I don't know what I would do without you guys."

* * *

Keith let out a breath as their ship put more distance between them and Terra. He was glad to be heading home. After all they had been through with Cady and Erik and worrying about Declan, he wanted to be back where he felt most comfortable so he was better prepared to deal with it all. He looked over to where Cady, Tristan, and Allura were playing a board game set up on a fold away table. Tristan moved his piece a few places and picked up a card. Keith couldn't hear what he read, but by the way Cady and Allura giggled, he knew it couldn't have been good for the young man. 

Allura looked up and caught him watching them. She smiled softly and gestured for him to join them.

He stood and walked over, turning a chair to face the table, "Are you girls ganging up on poor Tristan?"

Cady giggled again and patted her boyfriend's arm, "We can't help it that he's bad at this game."

"I can't help it that you cheat," Tristan grumbled.

Keith raised an eyebrow, "You're accusing my daughter of cheating?"

"Yes, sir."

"I am not cheating," Cady insisted. "I am playing the game just as the twins taught me to."

Allura and Tristan groaned in unison.

"You're cheating without realizing it," her father laughed.

"You know, the boys aren't always cheating," Cady stuck up for her brothers.

Allura smiled at her daughter, "Then explain to me how they always win?"

Keith shook his head, chuckling, as he flipped open his beeping communicator. "Whitaker."

"Hey, Cap," Hunk greeted him.

"Hi, Hunk, how's it going?"

"I take it you guys are in the air?"

"Yeah, we left Terra three hours ago."

Hunk nodded, "I just wanted to let you know that the Garrison sent us a response to your request about Vinn."

Keith's good mood plummeted, "And?"

"And they have taken your request into consideration, but at the moment it is not feasible to move him to another prison or containment center. They will look into other options in the near future and keep you posted of any decision." Hunk recited from the report that had been faxed to the Castle a few minutes earlier.

Keith sighed, "All right, thanks Hunk for letting me know. I'll see what I can do when I get home."

"Okey doke, Cap," Hunk saluted the monitor. "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, we'll see you tomorrow."

"Which won't be soon enough."

Keith raised an eyebrow, "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah, it's just that Lance isn't dealing well with both Sky and Darcy being away. He's full of energy and doesn't want to be alone. I figure when you get back, he can start calling _you_ at two thirty in the morning."

Keith laughed, "Thanks for the warning, man."

"No, prob, see you later."

"Bye, Hunk."

"Is everything all right?" Allura asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, nothing we can't handle."

* * *

_Author's Note: _Well, this is the end of another story. As with all the others, I've enjoyed writing it.

Thank you so much for your reviews. RedLion2, MustangAce - Thank you guys so much! I really appreciate your reviews! It really means a lot to me.

And to everyone els who reviewed, Thank you! I would name you all, but it is late and I'm tired :) But know that I appreciate all the reviews I have recieved!

I know that some of you didn't like the direction this story took and I was sorry to hear that. But what can I say, I had to keep you on your toes and throw you a curveball. I also wanted to stretch my legs as a writer, try an angle I never have before. I am as proud of this story as I am of my others in this series. This is not the end. It will be continued in a sequel set a few weeks after this story ends.

Until next time!

Failte


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